


The Savior returns...But not quite...Human anymore.

by SlySama



Series: Unfinished Works. [15]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 00:47:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14759426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlySama/pseuds/SlySama





	The Savior returns...But not quite...Human anymore.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**The Saviour returns, but not quite human.**

 

He sighed as he hefted his trunk up off the floor of his home of five years. He stared around the living room space and peered around the adjacent kitchen area. He even peaked back into his bedroom and study; just in case he'd forgotten anything. 

It was time. He no longer had anything left to stay here for, and he missed  **them** anyway, not that he wouldn't of course miss those he knew here but as the situation currently was...He really didn't have them anymore. 

◇◇◇

Cloudy and windy, the snow had begun to fall heavily on the sidewalk. The raven stepped outside of the dark green wood door and lifted the long cloaks good over his dark strands; shrouding his features in shadow and giving him leave to roam  **unseen** in the public view. Hopefully unnoticed by passersby and various people he knew that might just happen to walk straight past him on their way back into the hidden house; not that it probably needed to remain that way. 

He was surprised that nobody had visited the old headquarters as his stay, of three days, had revealed it to have been kept clean. He smiled unconsciously, stepping across the road and carefully avoiding being seen or hit by the large group of bundled up children down the road presumably picking up on yesterday's stalemated snowball fight. 

He mindfully watched his cool fingers creak open the rusted iron gate that locked the overgrown park and just as mindfully let them close it behind him. They were fortunately to loud and he to careful and his apparating to  **silent** to be overheard. 

He didn't want to alert anyone of his arrival just yet. 

The cloaked raven grunted as his heavy boots landed with a thump onto the snow spattered stones of the Leaky Cauldron's backalley. He stayed clear of the dustbin that was overflowing trash and took a deep breath as he let his mind drift back quite a number of years when he had first been here and his first and half giant friend Hagrid had tapped his umbrella on the stone wall to reveal the shopping district beyond. 

He wondered as his fingers moved to the coordinates of each brick whether anymore alleys had been constructed in the last three years he had been gone. Whether they were still reconstructing the district or if they were finished. If they had kept the sketchy knockturn alley? 

The bricks slid aside making a human sized opening, as if pieces of a puzzle had been removed but Harry knew better, his hearing catching the inner-mechanics of the magic entrance. Slowly stepping through the opening, making sure not to catch his cloak on any sharp edges and keeping his hair and features hidden he looked around discreetly to make sure no passing by patrons had caught a glimpse. However...There weren't any...

...Anywhere. 

It was the first time he had been here since his return but surely despite his misgivings on that return, Diagon Alley didn't close during the week? 

Harry frowned as he walked onwards down the main street, staring at all the shops and their dark insides, their empty storefronts and their signs that read they were “currently closed and apologize for any inconvenience”.

Closed?

But this was the main place that wizarding folk in England went to collect their daily supplies, their leisure items, their school necessities, their new apparel, looks and potions ingredients, probably even their daily dose of the Daily Prophet.

How on earth could Diagon Alley be closed? Was it a strike, did the wizarding world have those now? Was it further reconstruction? He stared around, turning in a circle with a deepening frown.

No, it had obviously been doing well for itself; it looked better than his youthful years and he was sure there were more side alleys and storefronts from the reconstruction he already knew about; he did his homework. He picked up his pace down the street, boots stamping on the snow that pattered down from the snow clouds overhead. He headed straight for the bookshop at the end of the street—but even Hermione seemed to be closed; she had the same sign.

“We apologise for any inconveniences, we’ll be out for a day or so, any withstanding pick-ups will unfortunately have to wait, wishing you a peaceful week. Have a wonderful day in Diagon Alley.”

Harry sniffed at the board and turned on heel, heading back down the street to the Apothecary; one thing about keeping up with various news channels was that he knew that his bookworm friend owned a bookstore, his redheaded strategist helped his elder brother George at the Joke Shop and Snape and Malfoy jointly owned the Apothecary that he wouldn’t have minded grabbing some things at as he saw them. He paused before it, on the snow concealed step and almost growled as they were gone too, with the same stupid sign.

“Apologise for the inconvenience but we won’t be opening for a few days, something to do.”

Why were all the shops closed? Why? What on earth could have every shop owner closing their shops, all day, in the middle of the week? What on earth would have Diagon Alley so empty? Was it something special today, something that was important? He tilted his head, continuously making that crease in the middle of his forehead that apparently was supposed to make wrinkles; countless people had told him to stop doing it, that he frowned too often, that if he wanted wrinkles why didn’t he smile more and get those wrinkles instead? He didn’t oft have much to smile or laugh about, certainly didn’t right now.

He stood there, with snow falling from the roofing, brow creased in deep thought to try his hand at remembering just what today might be. Let’s see, five years…

He clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth several times in his thought and began to, in sync, tap his lip with a forefinger as he stood there, like an idiot, in front of the closed storefront of the apothecary.

Five years…

Five years… he tilted his head the other way, hissed then turned around slowly, stepping down from the step and headed back out onto Charing Cross road, there he flung himself at a newspaper box feeling a dreaded sinking in the pit of his stomach. He stared at the words silently, without blinking for several minutes—he held up a man trying to buy it. He swore as he came back to himself, the letters and numbers flashing across his mind. He jumped into a deserted alley after he threw the paper at the man behind him and spun with a silent pop; he wobbled on the rocky walk, staring between those iron gates at the majestic castle on the hill; Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It was May.

It was the 3rd.

And it was the year 2003.

It was five years later and it was perfectly fucking annoying.

The castle at least looked better though he could tell they had made an effort to find parts that matched well with the old girl. He believed the sentient structure was a female. Rven the grounds looked fresher and somehow greener as he stepped, sighing heavily, through those wrought-iron gates, inclining his cowled head at the winged boars that stood guard there. They grunted in turn, watching him as he easily walked up the sloping hillside, past Hagrid’s new hut; it looked nice, and pumpkin patch and the forest behind that may or may not still contain Thestrals.

He was feeling a bit overheated as he finally reached the marbled snow covered staircase of the front doors. He spelled himself fresher, cooler with a mere wave of his hand, though he did still possess his wand inside his coat pocket, as he turned to spy the view; The Dark Forest and his forbidding aura, the path of forest that housed the Thestrals that he could now see flying high above it, and the Black Lake, to the Giant Cephalopod bathing in its shallow waters and the merpeople living below its depths and currently circling the squid.

He sighed heavily. If he had had any other choice he'd not come back to Hogwarts despite the castle always being home to him despite its many bad memories now. Alas, he had no other choice. Turning back to face the stairs he stepped from the whitened earth to the ornate doors with ease, almost as if he had simply leapt or glided to them. 

He stood before them for several minutes with his hands pressed against the smoothness, eyes locked on the grains and the Hogwarts crest that adorned them. Then reached down for the smooth brass handles, cold hands tightening as he thought of the many people that sat within that very well might just gladly wrap their hands around his neck and squeeze until he was no longer breathing...not that shall we say, it would matter very much if they did, in the long run. 

Pushing with a little inhuman strength they shifted inwards and shut behind him heavily with a grating noise and snowflakes drifting to the tiles, clinging to his clothes and shoes which unfortunately had tracked mud into the ancient entrance. 

Mumbling, tired eyes closing, fingers tingling with magic the mess vanished in an instant and the raven stood there frozen as he suddenly heard noise. 

It was the many voices within the Great Hall chorused in nostalgic laughter and applause. He was even sure there were the sounds of crying. He took a rehearsed breath as he headed down the stairs and paused before the closed double doors; they were slightly different to how he remembered them. These must have been replaced as well. The wood vibrated with the echoing voices and perhaps with Hogwarts welcoming him as he pleaded his hands upon the smooth surface. 

Forever, it seemed that they grated over the warn stone beneath them,  revealing hundreds if not close to a thousand people crowded in every nook and cranny of the large but seemingly small dining hall. 

Everything paused as if time had suddenly slowed down, flutes raised in a toast, lips parted on words and many many eyes turned to him. Even the many visible and perhaps purely guiltily seen, such as Remus and Tonks had frozen. 

The raven bit his lip, forgetting his teeth as they sunk deep into the corner of his bottom lip. He groaned without thinking as he swallowed the metallic blood and licked the sounds clean with the tip of his tongue. His attention resumed on the man that had presumably started the toast he'd interrupted when the man spoke at him, 'Are you lost perhaps?' 

Not that, he was almost 100% certain, that you could just wonder into Hogwarts these days, not that you could before either really; wards and all. Himself not withstanding of course, he hadn't thought for a second that the castle wouldn't let him inside; Hogwarts was his home, and he believed She knew that. 

He silently shook his covered head. 

'Then are you here for the Anniversary perhaps?'

Huffing he nodded slowly, his attention warning, since he didn't particularly care for the conversation, his eyes scanning the vast room; it was elbow to elbow packed full of mourning individuals, and celebratory ones, he supposed. 

It was hot, very heated, very dim, very...He shook himself before the man could even get out, 'Would you like to take a seat? Or find a place to stand then? We were in the midst of a toast after all.'

His cloaked shoulders shrugged, not trusting himself to speak and slowly leaned himself up against a spare space of wall beside the large doors; it was even more dimly lit here than the rest of the hall. He was surprised Snape wasn’t already standing here, then again he was probably being forced to sit at a crowded table in the light by his partner.

The man resumed speaking at top volume, either to envisioned or to daft to cast a sonorous to be heard over what little mumbles there were in here, and raised his goblet again with everyone else, starting anew.

Vibrant eyes rolled and darkened eyelashes fell over them as he half listened, half didn’t to the man’s repeat speech; he took a flute that floated by out of formality and immediately shuddered as he stared, eyes opened, down at the red wine inside. Honestly? Why? Why would you use a drink that was the same colour as blood at an anniversary that was filled with death and murder? Because, that's what it had been. People had been murdered, to get them this day. 

To give them a day that Voldemort was no more. To give them their freedom people had lost their own chance at it. Harry had lost more than innocence because of it. Teddy, his Godson had lost his parents to it too. 

Wouldn't something more...White? Be a better accompaniment to an anniversary that was simply nothing but misery? 

He scrunched up his nose and leaned subtly down to put it on the ground by his foot, the toast thankfully coming to a close. He hated toasts. He hated these anniversaries, hated any type of event that had anything to do with the war or the ministry to be frankly honest. Thankfully he’d been able to avoid all of these thanks to his being in an entirely different country. He would have been able to continue avoiding them if; 

One. He’d actually looked at a calendar that morning and thought better of coming today and,

Two. If the people who he’d wanted to visit, sort of, had been in their shops like they were supposed to instead of being here; at Hogwarts.

‘So, Mister Late Arrival, being further rude and not shedding that heavy cloak of yours?’ For some reason the loudened words caused Harry to open his eyes and made him cringe; everyone’s eyes had turned back to him. Why was it that everyone seemed to always want to make him the centre of attention, even when they weren’t aware it was him? He sighed heavily and ruffled his hair through his hood; it’d look a fright when he removed it. ‘Well?’ the man asked.

‘Aren’t you making toasts to the dead, the living and anyone that even half-ly survived the war?’ he altered his voice like he’d practiced but he wasn’t sure it was all that different; several heads shifted and backs straightened in the crowd upon him doing it.

His head was angled with attitude, his glasses were pressing uncomfortably into his nose and an eyebrow was raised beneath his cowl, shrouded in shadow. Somehow he’d been able to achieve that “life-long dream” of rising his eyebrow like Malfoy and Snape, when he travelled across the world and sight-saw for a year. Of course their gasps were at his uncouth words but he shrugged, lifting a booted foot to the wall behind him in uncaring.

‘Are you being serious or are you merely being insufferable and insensitive, sir?’ The man scowled and Harry chuckled unconsciously behind a pale hand.

‘I don’t know, are you?’ He gave back mockingly; his smile could clearly be heard behind the words. ‘This is ridiculous. Stupid even, these anniversaries are ridiculous do you even realise how you make people feel when you hold these? Do you think that families that have lost their family members, and lovers that lost the love of their lives, friends that have lost their life-long best mate, even remotely think about coming to these?'

'That they would even dream of it? Don’t you think they feel offended that you’re all here celebrating a war that ended with thousands of lives lost? That you’re celebrating a freedom that you had no part, sorry, some part in while their loved ones lost their lives giving it to you?’ His voice was getting stronger, louder, angrier as he went on.

‘Though I know even some of you are in here with these celebrators, these idiots. I’m ashamed of you.’ He ignored the coughs. ‘But I can understand. Some of you, you come because you feel it’s your duty to be here, to celebrate that Voldemort is no more. I mean, I’m here for the same reason, I know it’s my duty so I’m here today, normally I wouldn’t be caught dead within a mile of this idiocy but for some moronic reason, this day requires all shops to close.’ He narrowed his eyes under his hood as he heard more embarrassed coughing and shifting of bodies in seats then he rolled his eyes; of course, these were those people, most, his friends; idiots.

‘These events young man are—

‘Stupid, sir’ He interrupted, stepping forward into the lighter part of the hall, angling his head again and smiling within the shadow of his hood. Who even was this man? ‘You have to know how right I am?’

‘I beg your pardon, I certainly do not. We recognise that people lost their lives for the freedom we have today. We recognise that our Saviour even disappeared, perhaps even the rumours are true, because he felt perhaps that he’d done his “duty” and now could live his life the way he wanted, we understand, we honour those memories of loved ones. We have all lost things.’

‘Mm.’ Harry hummed, slightly shaking his head. ‘Like…?’ He asked.

‘Friends, family, adolescents, lovers’ The man shot back immediately.

Harry laughed shortly, swiping his tongue across his bottom lip to wet it then running that tongue across a tooth. ‘It rather sounds superficial when you say it.’

‘Beg your pardon lad?’ The man stepped forward, his wand in his palm.

Harry rolled his eyes at the display. They could do whatever they wanted; it was just his opinion on this stupid event. He took his own steps further forward but kept his relatively unused wand in his jacket pocket under his cloak. He felt rather bemused by this sensitive, superficial man. ‘I said it sounds superficial when you say it.’

‘There is nothing superficial about me or this day. Like I said, we honour the fallen every year on May 3rd, we honour Harry—

‘Please don’t finish that sentence…’ His voice was hard but tired as he threw off his cowl, ‘I just said I hate these stupid events, I don’t want to be named in them. I saw a lot of those “fallen” die, whoever you are, and I couldn’t do a single thing to stop it. You may have gotten freedom but it was a heavy price and I feel it every day.’ His emerald eyes glowed briefly, darkening, hardening as he stared hard at the dropped jaw of the man before him, as he heard the gasps around him and the shifting of benches as people stood and his friend’s hurried forward around frozen people.

The man’s jaw worked soundlessly, throat silenced. ‘I…You…That…I…You…’

Harry watched the man flounder for a few moments and did a quick avoidance of his friends as they tried to grab for him; he stepped up onto the first step of the dais and turned to face the entire assembled crowd of magical folk, perhaps even non-magical; he had no idea. ‘You heard me right? All of you.’ He pointed, moving his finger around the room.

‘I think this is incredibly stupid and it’s the reason why I avoided it for the last five years, if I’d had any choice I wouldn’t be standing here now but apparently this day requires every shop to close.’ He spat the last two words out with venom, his jewelled eyes cold as they turned on everyone. ‘Not everyone likes to celebrate this shit, I can get this, really, but I am ashamed of the ones I know that are here, you saw the same horrific stuff I did out there on that battlefield.’ He waved behind him, staring directly at his friends.

They readily hung their heads but there was defiance there. ‘You could have shown respect to them, that’s what we do every year.’

Harry moved his head and eyes to spy one of his group, ‘I’ve shown respect, I’ve even visited gravesites; this isn’t respect, this is nothing more than reminiscence of a person that unwilling gave up their own freedom.’ He paused ‘This is ludicrous; there is no reason why it should halt everything for a few days. I recommend you all go back home, open your shops. Do your jobs and stop gathering for this at the very least, soundlessly pay your respects, hold little get-together if you wish, this whole deal isn’t necessary; it is not that grand.’

‘Everyone shows their guilt and respect in different ways Harry but we aren’t just here for this this year we’re here for the grand opening of Hogwarts. It has been closed for repairs for the last five years.’ She was frowning.

Harry frowned right back at the bookshop owner. There was a snort from Harry’s left so he turned partially in that direction, ‘Easy now Potter, no need to make everyone go into cardiac arrest alright. You’ve only just returned, half of us believing you dead these last five years, to suddenly appear and try to rip everyone a new arsehole looking like that is a bit much. Where were you an underground cave? You’re paler than Snape and I.’

Harry’s eyes narrowed but he held his tongue as he took in the two men; well, in all honesty they’d gotten a bit of sun in the last five years, whereas he…Wasn’t it stretching it a little bit? He didn’t look that bad, just a bit…pale.

He jumped when suddenly a hand ran itself through his dark strands; he blinked up at the grey eyes in front of him, unsure how the man had moved so fast or so soundlessly that Harry had not picked it up to halt it. He lifted a pale hand, bringing it up to grasp at that wrist and halt a similar attempt.

Malfoy paused. His words trailing 'Oh, I thought you had snow in your hair...' The grey eyes flicked to his own wrist tightly held by pale fingers. Harry let go before the blonde realised the fingers were cooler than they should be. Malfoy's hand and arm certainly weren't as pale as Harry's were now. Harry avoided eye contact for overly long as he swept down the dais to the entrance, his voice trailing behind him in the silence of his reveal. 

'Do what you please.'

He was about to leave when several people called his name and for him to stop. Hermione repeated her words. 'Hogwarts is reopening, Harry please stay to see it.' He sighed but took himself back to the dimly lit span of wall, arms crossed in annoyance and eyes defiant to the floor. 

He wasn't sure he was prepared to listen to any backlash of his chewing out. Let alone did he believe he was remotely prepared to be ambushed by his friends and prior teachers about where he'd been for the last five years; he knew they would, at some point, and soon. 

He kept silent as they resumed the festivities tentatively, the warm glow of the lanterns behind and the candles flickering overhead casting him a dim sputtering light over his dark hair, appearing as if he had flecks of snow in his hair; though he didn’t, for some reason some of his hairs had well…gone white.

He couldn't be sure but the rest might very well turn white in the near future. If Malfoy had seen them then he could probably assume the light would show everyone else the difference. He shifted a little to the left to be further in the shadow and did his best to ignore the various stares and whispers now directed at himself. Until a small someone appeared before him. Harry had stared up then readjusted his trajectory and stared down when he heard the boys strong but child voice; it was a mix of excitement, nervousness and anger. 'You're Harry.'

Harry blinked, 'So I am.' He stared for a good moment when silence greeted his reply. He was a small boy with blue locks quickly morphing to a jet black specked with white that Harry frowned at, and tanned skin that shifted to pale and amber orbs that switched to green that weren't quite Harry's. 'You're Teddy Lupin, aren't you?' 

The boy nodded; he must be a metamorphamagus just like his mother had been.

'You know who I am? Properly?' Harry felt guilt quickly surface as he stared at the growing tot. He'd left and thrust the boy, despite him having been handed over to Harry's care after his parents passed away in battle, into his grandmother's, into Tonks's mother's instead, and then fled. He went down his knees so Ted wasn't cranking his neck so much. 

Ted nodded empathically, his face determined, anger in his unusual eyes. 'You're my Godfather. You're Harry Potter. Gran says so, Cousin Draco says so, and I've seen pictures of you...' He took a breath. 'You don't look much like those. You're paler than your pictures and your hair isn't entirely black anymore and you have this weird vibe.' He then went silent and stared. 

Harry blinked back, unhelping when his eyebrows went upwards and his jaw dropped slightly. Gran? Weird vibe? Cousin Draco? He hadn't expected Malfoy to be in aquantance with his cousin let alone his estranged Aunt. Where did a five year old learn so many words and pronounce them almost perfectly? 

Mìmì certainly didn't, in fact he barely spoke. 

His godson must have been shown old pictures. He slid his emerald back over to where he'd seen the figures and watched as Andromeda Tonks sat facing them,  fanning a handkerchief to her wet eyes.  He wondered idly as the figures had returned whether she could see them sat beside her.  

'Can you carry me?' Harry  jerked; startled by the question he turned his eyes back on his godson owlishly. 'Can you carry me?' He repeated, obviously believing Harry hadn't heard, though of course Harry had. He swallowed, made a small nose in his throat and biting his lip reached down and hefted the five year old into his arms.  

'Uh, how's this? Am I doing it right?' He smiled uneasily. He knew how of course but he it wasn't like he held children often.  

Ted nodded and pointed,  'Go that way. Granny's over there.'

 'Ah...' The raven couldn't help a hint of bemusement entering his voice for now it was "Granny". He stepped slowly that way, follow the finger. He was wary of Andromeda Tonks; she may well be one of those people that would love to grab him by the shoulders, shake him and then wrap their hands around his throat, but he supposed if he had Teddy in his arms he was safe?

He swallowed nervously anyway as he stopped before the still beautiful brunette  woman; she still looked so much like Bellatrix it was a bit unnerving. ‘Andromeda’ He inclined his head respectfully fully aware that people had followed his movements.

‘Mister Potter.’ She returned it, pushing her handkerchief into her lap. Perhaps she wasn't?  

‘…I apologise.’ He said.

‘Do you?’ she asked. Oh, okay, definitely one of the ones that wanted to hurt him; her brown eyes were dark as she stared hard at him—eyes briefly flicking between Teddy and him.

‘I do.’ He held his godson tighter in case someone wished to remove him from his grasp and leave him at the mercy of the boy’s intimidating grandmother; the thing was Harry’d take it. He’d take the abuse because he knew he deserved it; no one had been happy when he left, he knew that. He knew they were itching to give him his own dressing down, he wondered whether Teddy wanted the same thing and stared at him discreetly; the boy was distracted by Harry’s wayward strands and kept trying to flatten them—his small face showed frustration and resignation but he didn’t halt.

If Teddy didn’t feel that way because he was too young to realise or be aware that he was supposed to be Harry’s custody, then he’d probably do time later when he inevitably realised. He could try and take him back but he didn’t want to take him from his grandmother, Teddy was all she had now that her daughter was dead and her husband too.

His eyes flicked to the transparent couple for a moment but dropped them when Andromeda asked him where he’d been for the last five years in a harsh voice, or at least, it sounded that way to Harry’s ears.

‘Um…’ Harry avoided her stare. To be honest he’d rather not say. ‘Travelling…’ So he’d try with vagueness and see how well that went.

‘Really?’ she asked, perhaps not very well.

Harry inclined his raven head anyway, 100% knowledgeable about even more eyes turning to witness the scene and speculate their own answers. He was doubtful that he wasn't being interrogating right now, and that the older woman was doing a very good job of keeping herself in check; her hands clenched secondly on her kerchief.

He was secondly glad that he was holding Teddy upon seeing it and then wondered whether the boy was cunningly keeping his grip to keep anyone from hurting his godfather? If he was it was very skilfully devised and definitely not Gryffindor or Hufflepuff; now wouldn’t that surprise the boy’s parents? He flicked his eyes to them but they had gone again. 

He silently thanked Teddy anyways, tuning back into their conversation with both his ears and eyes, he unfortunately tuned back into loud whispers that had begun to subsequently circulate the hall. The flutes of wine were being distributed again and again with a blood red wine so he supposed he understood the loudness; people were becoming a bit loose-lipped.

Harry inwardly cringed at this and at the sweet tangy smell that assaulted him as Andromeda grasped for a goblet as it floated by. He hated it but perhaps it was now more to do with something equally so? Food had just appeared, mountains of it, all different smells of various states of cooked wafting through the hall straight at him; he swallowed thickly as they did, as everyone watched him as he licked his lips distractedly, feeling nauseated.

‘Are you ill?’

Harry startled again, tightening his hold on Teddy’s middle, ‘Beg pardon?’

‘Ill Potter, are you ill?’

‘Um…’ Harry shook his head, ‘No?’

‘Then why, heaven forbid did your already pale complexion decrease just now?’

‘Merely…I’m not very hungry…’ He tried.

‘Oh?’ Her eyes held clear suspicion while her face showed mere curiosity. Clearing his throat Harry only nodded, hefting Teddy distractedly back up his hip as he slipped down from his heavy cloak; the boy was surprisingly light but then he supposed he was only five; how much could they possibly weigh unless they were baby Crabbe and Goyle’s? He shuddered to think what carrying one of those would do to his hip, even now.

'Feeling a chill Potter?' 

Harry's head whipped 'round to the man that hadn't spoken to him since he'd returned. Harry was now, looking, just beneath the man's chin in height; having had a growth spurt whilst he was gone. Snape's dark hair though normally loose was tied at his name with a clasp of silver Cauldron's...So he'd seen earlier. His voice however hadn't altered much since he'd aquired the large slightly faded scar around his neck and Harry was thankfull for it. Snape's voice was smooth and still just as sharp and biting.

He tingled slightly as he turned fully to face the man now and reply. 'Not particularly. Simply a shiver, sir. It's actually rather warm in here what with it being fuller than I have ever seen it.  **And** I seem to have grabbed my warmest cloak from my luggage for the occasion of  **shopping out in the open**.' 

'I see you've acquired your own biting tongue Mister Potter.' The piercing eyes darkened, turning them almost unregonisable. 

"Not particulary, it's rather warm in here actually what with so many people and I do seem to have grabbed my warmest cloak from my closet for the occasion of shopping in the open."

"I see you've aquired you're own biting tongue Mister Potter." His eyes darkened, turning them even blacker.

"Have I, Snape?" He stressed the last name.

Severus eyebrow raised and Harry merely returned it in full force, Teddy's hand just below his cheek; he was frowning slightly but Harry merely ignored it in favour of staring at his ex-Professor and silently throwing a challenge.

"Indeed, you have. Potter."

Harry saw both his friends, Draco and Andromeda all roll their eyes. He once again ignored them in favour of now staring at Teddy sideways, his face inches from his own pale one and frowning deeply. "Yes Teddy? Do you want to get down?" He even attempted to, though he was worried what Andromeda would do, her hands still appeared to be twitching around the hankerchief.

"No." He shook his messy similiar hair. "Harry why don't you have a pulse?"

Harry blinked and opened his mouth before hastly laughing, "Of course I have a pulse, you merely have little fingers....why are you trying to take my pulse anyway?"

"You're breathing seems forced..." He blinked innocently and tapped his hand to his chest and then mouth. "It's cold too..."

His heart sped up, pumping what blood he did have in his veins around faster. "Merely..." He paused when he remembered he covered his shiver by saying it was actually warm in the Great Hall, how was he supposed to head this off? And the longer he paused the more people were starting to turn and watch him suspiciously. "It's not, it's warm. See." He breathed a little and hoped his blood pumped enough that it came out luke warm. Teddy still frowned and those closest him did too, obviously not believing or seeing the clear look of nervousness and desperation in his calm words and movements.

"I think you're lying." His hair changed to red, like a blood red plum and he frowned heavily at his Godfather's face.

Harry swallowed nervously without thinking and trying to make his heart rate normal, or relatively if anyone wanted to check him. So turned out someone did, they pushed through the crowd and edged their way over, dragging along their husband who looked just as nervous if more jittery. "Hello Harry."

"Neville." Harry blinked then blinkly owlishly at the women.

"I'm Hannah, Neville's wife of two years and the newly appointed Matron of Hogwarts when it reopens." She narrowed her eyes and removed something from her sky blue robes; her wand and Harry backed up a pace.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to examine you, what's it look like Potter? You clearly need to be with how you look and what your godson just said." She shook her head in exasperation. "I've been itching to since I saw you enter and take off your hood." She went on, stepping closer on heels.

Harry clenched his jaw and resolutely stayed still, doing as he hoped and consciously making his blood pressure and heart rate spike. She lifted her lightly colored wand and pressed it to his chest, he frowned at this but the burst of magic that went through him had him gasping and shivering. "What..." He stuttered, rubbing at his chest as she waved her wand to the side and away from him.

Her brown curls tilted and he noticed the clip in her hair, it was pretty and red. He swallowed unconsiously again but this time audibly. Why had he taken notice of that? A silly little trinket in her brown hair? Teddy's hair changing colour, was he need again, desperately?

"You're very under fed you know, have you eaten anything at all in the last few days?"

Harry shook his head and tried to consciously will his green eyes away from that pin. Of that line of thoughts.

"And where have you been until now? It can't have been a health spa."

He frowned at her sarcasm and mockery but chewed his lip as he answered. "Over seas."

"Over seas, Potter?" Snape asked snipely.

"Yes." He frowned, why in the world?

"How long have you been ill?" She pressed her wand tip to his chest again and he shivered once more with the after effects. He wasn't sure this was the time or the place for this but no one else seem bothered to stop her or see themselves, know themselves except him.

He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes on her and her husband who just stood behind her a hand on her arm, as if trying silently to fend her off and control her wildly out of control actions.

"Potter how long?" She pressed, her heel tapping.

"For the last three years." He hissed. "Are you really a Medi Witch, Healer." He rolled his eyes and shrugged for whatever. He didn't really care, as long as she was. Because clearly this spell was something new or new and of her own making; this wasn't something he expected of a new matron, to force her patients to express truths.

"I see." She sounded like she already knew and Harry narrowed his green eyes once more, his lashes darker and longer than before, or so he'd seen in a mirror. They were very femine but then his eyelashes always had been hadn't they? "Yes I am."

"This isn't the place. I'm a very private person and I did not stay to be examined and critised by everyone in this room. Including yourself Mrs Longbottom." He hissed, placing his godson on his Grandmother's knee distractedly, and nervously still wary that she would stand up and grab him by the neck and strangle him; her fingers still twitched beneath that hankerchief in her lap occasionally, as if to prove the very itch, the very fact.

"Very well" She humphed as if both annoyed, understanding and frustrated. She stepped back then and placed her wand back into her robe pocket, hand once again in her husbands as she turned on her heel and walked him away. Harry's bright gaze followed them the entire way, ignoring the fact everyone else was following his movements and actions.

"Well that's quite interesting, apparently had a great old time over seas and contracted something? Did you?" It was Malfoy and Harry growled in his direction, an almost unchecked animalist growl of irritation and annoyance. Well it wasn't widly untrue, he ''contracted'' the illness here at the war's mid discend and then rushed over seas the moment it'd ended.

"Well alright then..." Malfoy trailed off, standing back. "Dinner then everyone?" It was apparently now, officially one of those moments in history where it just gets plain uncomfortable and awkward and there's nothing else you can say without getting maimed and murdered so the next best thing is to distract ones self with food and drink; Pumpkin juice, red wine and white wine, since it's all they had.

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair, messing it up and effectively making it look like he'd just got out bed again. Yawning and popping back muscles that had decided to cease up he sat down uneasily in the seat beside his Godson and Andromeda; fork picking through the stuff on his plate and trying not to heave. It was nice, it smelled nice, or at least it used too, it looked delicious but it just made him want to be sick because if he ate it, he wouldn't be able to taste a thing.

"Still not appetising Harry?"

He startled at his name and looked to her before turning back to the food and then excusing himself. He rushed from the room without looking back and rushed down to Hogsmeade in hopes that the place had been reconstructed and their shops were open, at least. When he was down there, his boots leaving large prints in the heavy snow fall, he sighed as he got into view of Honeydukes.

The shoppe was dim but the sign in through the door spoke they were still open regardless. He pushed open the door and sighed at the warmth, not that he could overly feel it, the snow flakes still clung to his eyelashes, hair tips and clothes as he stepped completely inside and closed the door, the little bell dinging as it did so. Harry looked around with delight as he brushed a few stray snow flakes from his cloak and hair, he wished he could buy something else but the only thing he seemed to be in need of was some lollipops in the back corner, he quickly shuffled there and started to pick them up as the shopkeeper spoke smoothly over the low hum of the wizard wireless.

"Can I help you young man?"

Hood securely over his head and hiding his features in shadow, the sweets shoppe lights doing a lot to help minimise detection, Harry lowered his voice to something gruff and spoke only a little as he deposited the dark red pops on the counter, asked for a bag, how much and then thanked him with a humble incline of his head before leaving the shop once again and heading back up the slope to Hogwarts...and all those former students and families.  
He was but a foot away from the shoppe when he felt the dire need to unwrap a pop and pop it into his mouth to suckle. He licked his lips as he did so, only pausing briefly, getting a flickering of human at the corner of his eye as the shop owner closed the curtains and turned out the lights; well, what did he expect, even while selling these types of lollies, there were only certain types of people who bought them and after Voldemort people were bound to be a little sketchy, especially when you wore a long black cloak with the cowl covering your features from view.

He kept walking slowly as he stuck the pop into his mouth and swirled his tongue around the sweet in delight, emerald eyes closing briefly at the mere depiction of that red liquid oozing down his throat. He moaned unconsciously, stepping his way through the heavier snow before quickly heading in the opposite direction of the Castle and down toward the Black Lake and the tree he'd so often sat at to be alone and think. Though thinking about it more deeply he wasn't even sure the tree still stood there...

.....  
.....

He smiled slightly around the pop combing a hand through his locks and squelching forwards through the downfall of snow as he saw that the tree did still cling to life beside the lake, it's roots were still planted firmly and proudly and it had even grown a little taller since the last time he'd been down here. He sat down, laying himself down against the tree, head propped against the lightly colored trunk and sighed blissfully as he rolled the lolly around his mouth, teeth clacking against the stick and it's hardness.

He would have been content to sleep there and would have had it not been for something abruptly disturbing him by appearing suddenly beside him, cracking open an eye he sat up straighter, the pop half out of his mouth and quickly sucking it back in wiped the red drool from the corner of his mouth. Grey eyes widened slightly at his abrupt wakening before the blonde eyebrow's rose in bemusement, booted feet trudging through the snow to reach him completely. "I'd hardly never seen you drooling in study hall when you should be doing otherwise Potter, why are you out here?" His words even sounded bemused until he got to the five, sounding more somber and curious.

Eyelids blinking several times to see clearer, waking up a little slower due to his lack of nutritious food supplies, he grabbed the frames from his coat pocket and placed the black wired frames onto the bridge of his nose, pushing them up with a slightly reddened finger (He'd not worn them before for obvious reasons, but he felt no need to keep them off, he wanted to see clearly, not blurrily), he'd had them on earlier, briefly to see the Giant Squid across the lake but he'd soon after fallen asleep, distractedly placing them back into his pocket half awake. "Sleeping against a tree...obviously." He quirked a thumb to the bark behind his head as he sat up even straighter and pushed the bag behind him to his left, around the trunk so Draco couldn't see. "And why you watching me sleep in school?" He raised his own eyebrows in challenge.

"No reason." He shrugged, one shouldered as he leaned down to sift through snow to find a flat stone and skim it across the thinly iced water (it never went much beyond that, Harry had always assumed it was magically spelled by the Castle or the Founders thousands of years ago to not freeze the animals beneath it in near freezing waters). "People are looking for you by the way, it probably won't come as much of a shock to you but they think you've once again ditched your home country for another and dropped off the face of the planet." Harry didn't need to watch the blonde directly to know he'd rolled his grey eyes at his owns words as he let the rock go.

Plip Plip Plip Plip Plip...

It skimmed five times before dropping below the water and sinking into the depths of the thinly iced murky water. "Well I haven't and I don't plan to anytime soon. I'd forgotten until now but McGonagall had asked me, somehow upon my immediate return to the UK, to be her new Defense Teacher, since the curse is no longer in effect, I'm good and I'd probably be immune to it anyway...even if it still was...So I'd said yes." He laughed at his words even as he rolled his eyes at himself and another rock skipping three times then sinking with a plop and crack of ice.

"You really said yes?" The blonde turned and stared and Harry popped the new lollipop he'd been unwrapping quickly into his mouth before he completely noticed.

"I did, is that a problem??" He narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the blonde intently who shook his head, blonde locks flying around his own pale slightly sunkissed face slowly.

"Of course not Potter, just didn't peg you for becoming a Professor, though you could probably say the same to me. Severus has agreed to take on the Apothocary most of the time, of course I'll still help when I can, swinging by on occasion." Harry blinked at him. "I'm the new Potioneer, Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin." Harry didn't really need the clarifying twice but kept staring, nodding slowly, lips around the sweet treat. "I'm assuming but are you going to be Head of Gryffindor too? Or does that fall under Granger territory first term?"

Harry sighed and rolled his emerald eyes, go figure. "Is it next generation of teachers now or something?" Draco shrugged nonplussed. "I am. What is she doing?" He felt guilty for ignoring them while he sat here talking to Malfoy and they were his friends, the ones he missed the most and he hadn't even spoken to them yet.

"Muggle studies, I think...possibly Ancient Runes or maybe both...It'd be simple enough for her I would think." He narrowed his eyes in thought. "If you were wondering though, Neville's the new Herbology Teacher though he's been pining after the job for awhile now." Harry eyed him with confusion and licked around the small ball on a stick in his mouth. "He's been apprenticed with Sprout for years since we finished our last year, like I have with Severus. Well... since we took ours N.E.W.T's at the Ministry anyway..." He scrubbed the back of his head with one hand and threw another flat stone, as if just realising he had one still rolling between his palms again.

Plip Plip Plip Plip Plip Plip Plip...

It skipped another two times before it dropped, another small patch of ice shattering and drifting down with it. There was silence for several seconds before Malfoy dared to disrrupt it, clearing his throat and speaking earily soft; eyes downcast to snow and mud beneath his boots. "Can I ask you a question Potter?"

"I don't know, can you?" Harry laughed, leaning his head back against the tree, arms behind his head.

The blonde turned and looked at him, "Don't be a prick" then paused as if trying to pick his words, sounding oddly thoughtful as he did. Harry eyed him with definite interest, eyes trained to him and lashes flashing across the green every couple of seconds behind his new spectacles. "I know you are a very private person, everyone does, they should by now, (he waved himself off) but is there something seriously wrong with you Potter? Really? I mean, for obvious reasons you don't have to tell me, we aren't friends or even aquantences but we will be collegues soon, I'd like to do that with more than just a truce made three a half years ago."

Harry tilted his head, not lifting it from the trunk of his tree, being thoughtful and spoke around the pop in his mouth, not with very much difficulty. "You're right, we aren't but we do know a reasonably equal amount about each other, or at least we did and I'd like the same from the start of the first term, perhaps a tentive friendship?" He laughed shortly at the smirk and short snort from Draco at this response. "But my private life is my own ultimately, I am a very private person and I don't wish to reveal anything about it to anyone...at least not yet. Sorry." He shrugged half unapolgetically as Draco shifted on his feet.

"I wasn't aware you were the type to like Lollipops?"

"Type?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you liked Lollipops?"

Harry shrugged, "I'm not overly fussed..." Those grey eyes darkened, almost like storm clouds but not quite, perhaps more like snowclouds and Harry frowned lightly behind his spectacles as the blonde crouched down, transfigured a blanket and sat down before him, crossed legged and facing him only slightly, enough to catch his movements clearly without actually looking at him but at the murky water and the dark shadows beneath the surface, cracking the ice occasionally.

"I'm not obtuse Potter. Show me credit."

Harry blinked owlishly as he opened his eyes having closed them moments prior. "What?"

"I'm not stupid Potter, I can tell when your lying and when you seem to be hiding something. Like you even said, we know equal amounts, that appears to be something unchanged with three years disappearance."

"I know you're not Malfoy, what's your point?" He raised a questioning raven eyebrow at the white haired male, tongue licking around the red pop as the tang slid down his throat again for the thousandth time and pooled in his gut, sliding through his viens but somehow not the same as actual blood; be he wouldn't, he couldn't. Not here.

"It's not uncommon you know."

"What isn't?" Harry ventured, eyes narrowed to slits.

"Being overly cautious, being overly paranoid or protective of yourself and your position. Keeping secrets from your friends and family..." He trailed off, eyes downcast to his shoes and the mud that now lay at the bottom of them; he waved his wand distractedly and the mess vanished, causing Harry to blank but a brief moment before he turned back to him frowning once again.

"I'm sorry?" He was confused, what was this blonde Aristocrat blathering on about now?

"Haah." He straightened himself up and looked squarely at him, causing Harry to lean further back into the tree trunk. "No one is going to be upset with you if you stop hiding it. Rather I think they'd be upset that you are hiding your condition from them."

"My condition?" He sat up straighter, pushing the package further behind the trunk of the tree and the cover of his own body.

The blonde turned to him then, completely, his eyes, his head, his entire body shifted to face him. "You were bitten...weren't you?" The heart in Harry's body seemed to thump faster in his chest or that could have just been the thunder starting to roar over head from an incoming snow and rain storm; Harry felt the small bit of blood circulate his body faster though, just barely, the only outward signs something was different was that his fingertips were slightly reddened.

"What are you talking about?" He tried sounding calm and confused.

"Potter don't be obtuse, it won't work on me like so many others. You know that by now don't you?" Some of his blonde locks fell into his eyes then and slid to the other side of his neck as he tilted his head at Harry, as if silently trying to goad Harry into edging closer to smell his pulsing blood, just below that vein thumping on his neck. Harry swallowed thickly and dug his extended nails into the earth below the snow, hopefully not uprooting or damaging any precious tree roots in the process.

Harry was barely breathing, the act purely habit and something he felt calmed him when he realised he was no longer human, he exhaled only a small amount and Draco nodded, tilting his head back to a normal angle. "Right. So you were bitten then?"

"Yes" He hissed, clenched between his sharp teeth, alongated canines and the lollipop stick. The ground beneath them shook briefly with his raw power though neither of them took to much notice because they knew who had done it, why, unintentionally. Harry desperately wanted to throw something, maybe even Malfoy into the cold lake, he could drown him or suck his life's blood from his body, drain him dry, but that wasn't him, he wasn't a murderer and those thoughts unsettled him even now, with everything, after killing Voldemort that very same way he just envisioned. It scared him sometimes and he threw things to help.

"During the battle? Is that why you vanished?" His words seemed hesitant but his tone implied brute honesty and no mercy in his questing.

Again the sound hissed between his teeth, "Yeeeeees."

The storm grew closer and heavy mist began to set in around their ankles and knees, around the edge of the lake, it reminded Harry vaguely, eerily like his third year with those Dementor's and Sirius by that small lake in the forbidden forest, it wasn't long into the silence that had descended with his hiss and the thundering that rain and snow both fell in equal amounts upon them, pelting down at them and drenching their differently styled (yes his hair was styled, well at least he tried more) hair, Harry's package was now safely tucked within the confides of his cloak so he wasn't overly concerned, since he didn't really feel the weather. Draco however was shivering as he hunched in on himself like Harry had done, chest to his knees but his cloak was sodden.

"It's getting fiercer..." The thunder roared over head louder than before as Draco muttered this, his thin frame beginning to shake fully.

"You're cold." Harry murmured, virbrant green eyes watching him.

"I'm fine." Though Draco cursed himself, Harry snorted, when his words came out shuttering and vibrating against his teeth.

"Pitty repellent charms don't always work, come on Malfoy. Let's get inside and stop moping about and freezing to statues." His tucked his package further into his cloak pocket with his wand, shrunken and hefted the other 20 year old to his feet. "And Malfoy, you breathe one word of this..." He trailed off warningly as he reversed the transfiguration and the blanket returned to a flat rock, kicking his shoes into the dirt and snow as he tried to help Malfoy up the slope with him, the snow apparently having already fallen thicker than before.

.....  
.....

They heaved releaved sighs to have made it into the Castle, into the Entrance Hall before the storm had fully begun to set in, like it had appeared to do the moment the doors slammed closed, snow flying into the Hall and littering the grounds and the sodden bodies drapped over each other. The snow was melting quickly though with small warming charms they'd cast on themselves halfway up and slipping back down.

Harry disentangled himself and trudged his way over to the stairs, not in the slightest worried if other humans still inhabited the Great Hall or had gone home. He just wanted to rest, kick thoughts from his mind forcefully, dry himself off and go to sleep. Draco was hanging just barely onto his cloak trimming as he walked to those stairs and held on for dear life as he began slipping at the boots tracking snow and mud beneath them.

"I won't." He seemed to shudder, hands now encasing his abdomen and Harry had to pause thinking hard at what Malfoy ''won't'' before registering what he'd spoken to Malfoy five minutes ago, maybe more.

"See that you don't Malfoy. Goodnight." He turned then, a brief incline of his head and flew up the stairs, hands firmly keeping himself on the stairs as he slipped twice. "Ah!" He leaned over the banister and hollered down, uncaring in the slightest, "And Malfoy?!" The blonde's head flew up, grey eyes wide in question, though Harry wasn't so sure the blonde could see him with the amount of wet strands that lay across those eyes. "Do dry off before you collapse onto your bed and give Snape a heart attack!" There was a loud snort and a shudder before an unspoken silent nod as he turned, stepping across the landing and down to the dungeons.

Harry spelled his own self dry and hurried to his rooms, knowing exactly where they were even without having seen them prior to returing to England or Hogwarts for that matter. He hadn't even spoken with McGonagall herself, but he guessed, hoped that he was still her Defense Teacher for Hogwarts. The portrait of an Incubus, Cilus, curled up with dosens of white snakes hissed at him as he let the portrait slam behind him, saying some none to kind things within his hearing, undoubtably on purpose. "Sorry..." Muttering as he divested himself of clothing, tossing them onto the ground before the lit hearth and throwing himself carelessly onto the large dark forest green real leather couch, the softest, fluffiest silver, forest green and sky blue pillows adorning the fine furniture the best he had ever felt or seen. "Mmmmnn..." The leather was nice on his cooled skin, though any normal human would have proferred warmer things to cooler, it was nice, better even. He shifted slightly and pushed his face into the pillows, inhaling them unconsciously and that strangely familiar enticing sent through his nostrils.

"Ahhh...." He sighed, popping his neck and back muscles as he spelled a bottle of drink from his fridge. He narrowed his eyes at the beverage, unsure why it would be in his cooler but perhaps the house elves had investigated or simply decided the cooler could provide whatever it's owner wanted. He didn't think to much about it as he popped the lid and drank down the richly red liquid, it was thick on his tongue, tangy and sweet and matalicy and it wasn't like he liked blood, in fact he tried to stay as far away from human blood as possible, though since he needed blood he couldn't help the lollipops or even these drinks.

He'd had them especially ordered from France, perhaps because it had been in his luggage and the house elves had obviously unpacked for him, they'd merely put them in the fridge and not gotten involved in whatever he was secretly drinking and bringing into Hogwarts.

.....  
.....

He jerked awake by a tapping on his shoulder and he flew to a sitting position, head unfortunately smacking into anothers, causing them each to groan before turning sharp tongues on each other. "What the hell? Why are you in my rooms?!"

"The hell Potter, who wakes up like that?!"

They were still rubbing their foreheads as each snorted at each other and Draco took the opposite couch. His hands smoothing across the leathery surface and the pillows adorning it and seemed to give an appreciative grunt and laugh before answering Harry's question. "Nice. I'm here because McGonagall would like to speak with her new teachers and just so you are aware Potter, it isn't nighttime anymore, it's 11 am the following day."

Harry groaned and blinked, "My sleeping pattern is completely out of wack, this isn't normal for me anymore...Fuck, I'm going to have to brew migraine potions daily. Did all of us new Professor's stay here last night?" He looked up, lashes still half glued to his cheeks and tried to make out Draco's blurry image before him.

"Quite and I suppose I can give you half of my supply before you have need of brewing your own; I was unaware you could even do so?" He smirked a little and gripped the wire rimmed glasses that were on the coffee table between them, he peered briefly at the concocion half spilled on the floor, scrunching up his nose as he did so. Knowing Potter couldn't see it, whatever it was, it was probaly blood.

"Thanks." He pushed them up his nose and then only just seemed to realise he was sitting naked in his living room right in front of his school nemesis. "Uhh..." He laughed nervously and speed showered and changed into cleaner attire before plonking himself back down on the couch.

"Handy ability. You'd probably want to use it on your drink, you seemed to have tipped it over...or dropped it when you fell asleep?" He pointed down with an elegant finger and an finely trimmed blonde eyebrow risen. "...Its cold in here by the way..."

"Right..." Harry ignored the temperture quesiton and set his sponge and some water to cleaning the mess in hopes it came out this way as he set the bottle to hover to the bin and drop with a satisfy thump at the bottom. "Should we go to the Headmistress?" The blonde nodded, seemingly vaguely distracted as he stood to his feet and headed out of the portrait first. "It's in the same place right, or is it moved?" He wasn't 100% on the mecanics of Hogwarts blueprint anymore since half of it had been rebuilt and mended differently.

"Same place."

Harry's raven head tipped in an acknowleding gesture, wondering why Malfoy seemed so distracted all of a sudden; "Ah!" The blonde jumped, stopping three steps ahead of him and turning slightly to inquire silently. "How did you get into my rooms?"

He blinked those grey eyes and then smirked as he continued down. "Didn't you know? I can be very charming, even to an Incubus and his giant white snakes."

"Really Malfoy, how?"

"Haaah." He paused, hands running through his blonde locks. "I charmingly asked if he'd let me in since the Headmistress had needed our urgent attendance in her office." He shrugged stepping a little quicker down the flight of stairs as they slid across in a different direction. "He let me, but not without muttering something about rude new Masters and slamming his frame last night?"

Harry laughed humourlessly. "I did apologise, not my fault they didn't hear me. I just wanted to sleep, I wasn't in any condition to close him gently." He rolled his green eyes and plucked a small bit of left over gunk from the corner of his eyes, taking a moment to wipe his lenses as well.

.....  
.....

Fourty-five minutes later and Harry had the slight urge to rip his hair out and wondered idly if all Staff meetings went this way. There was so much chatting, voices rising above others to be heard that he could barely even hear himself think let alone his voice if he actually spoke aloud; as it was, he'd remained quite through this entire fiasco, leaving everything to his old Head of House and now Headmistress. Although she didn't seem anymore in control of the situation than anyone else in the room, the voices kept rising and Harry honestly thought his ears were bleeding.

He'd checked once or twice but of course they weren't, how could so few people harp on about so many things at once before the first school term in three years even so much as started?

"Mister Potter."

Everything stopped and he rolled his eyes, dropping his feet back down to the carpet in her newly decorated office. "Headmistress?"

"Minerva and would you like to ask any questions of your own?"

Harry blinked and lifted his lip in a thinking gesture, "Then it's Harry and not really, I've got everything I already need in the classroom's; I've checked, repeatedly." He smoothly lied and Draco gave him a funny look which he ignored completely. "I'm good M'am. But I'll be sure to harp on you like the rest of these new Professor's if I ever should have need of something. Oh!" He stood to his feet and placed his hands on the rounded edge of the table. "There is something, though I'm not sure it's doable..."

"What is it?"

"My Portrait seems to have a bad case of ''Let who ever I want in because the Professor inside slammed his frame once, with an apology he blantanly ignored'' syndrome. Do you think there's anything you can do for a Portrait as balantly selfish as my Incubus?"

They all blinked and someone besides Draco snorted.

"Be nice to your portraits?"

"I aplogised, it's not my fault he purposfully ignored it. I was friggin' tired, I couldn't care less at the time but now he's letting in strangers while I sleep." He narrowed his eyes as his head turned slowly to the blonde, who held his hands up in ''I surrender'' fashion.

"Like I said, good charm. I'm charasmatic."

Harry snorted then, "Sure. Headmistress?" He turned back to her and he frowned when he saw her hankerchief to her mouth. "Are you alright?" She waved him off steadily and quite easily as she righted herself, smoothing down her robe and tucking the tissue back into her sleeve.

"Quite alright Harry, I merely took a drink when you spoke..."

Harry's lips quirked and his eyes filled with mirth, he was sorry he'd missed that by looking at Malfoy instead.

"I'm afraid however that you are stuck with Mister Cilus; as he is a dark creature and one you will give lessons on with your students, he insisted he be placed at the private quarters of the new Defense Professor, that is you, Harry."

Harry sighed, closing his eyes, rubbing them as he slipped his glasses off briefly. "Is there any way into threatening him to keep me safe?"

"I'm sure you're safe enough on your own Potter, you shouldn't worry so much about a stupid Portrait, it isn't like it can truly defend you." He spoke so flippantly that Harry wanted to hit up side the head, though he refrained, just barely from doing so as he spoke looking down at the smooth surface of the table top.

"Perhaps not, but if he let's you in while I'm asleep, I worry who else he'll let in just because I slammed his frame once." Harry put stress on these two words as he took a sip of the tea, trying not to spit back into it because it was tasteless. Though of course, there was nothing wrong with the tea, it was his tastebuds that no longer existed.

"Relax. He won't do it again, especially if you perhaps aplogise again, verbally and front of him?"

Harry hated when Malfoy's made sense, he growled under his breath and twitched his nails on the table, beneath the table as he let his magic loose for a split second; just a bit of an ease for his stress and lack of proper blood in his system.

"Fine, I'll try it." Harry groused.

"Well then, would any of you like to add something to your own questions, calmly this time and one by one?" She suggested as Harry winked at her and left the room.

"You know you lied about your classroom's. How do you know everything you need is there?" Apparently Draco caught up to him and now matched him pace for pace, walking naturally and humanly as other older faculty zipped passed on their own missions and checks.

"Does it matter? Most of it's been replaced and the room's in full use capability; if there's something missing I'll take it from my own library in my rooms. Or one of my houses, it won't be that hard to zip out and grab one if we need it for classes or I do. And if there's something dire we need and I don't for some reason have, I'll ask old McGongall, she's got enough on her plate and I can cope fine...though the hunger is eating at me though..."

He rolled his eyes at the snicker to his left from his wording. "Whatever, grow up Malfoy."

"I am, I am. Apologies. Are you going to aplogise to your Portrrait?"

"Yes" Harry groused, hands runnng through is sillken raven hair and over his mildly pointed ears.

"I'm sure he'll gladly accept it this time, if you be nice when you close him afterwards."

"What are you a portrait theropist? Why are you following me anyways?" He frowned but kept walking, one by one, each staircase and step at a time.

"Is there such a thing? Might be interesting to witness. I'm not actually, I'm on my way up to the Infirmary to glather a list of potions and ingredients Madam Longbottom needs before term starts." He waved flippantly to the parchment and quill stuck between the breast pocket of his jacket and his well tailored dress shirt covered chest.

Harry briefly looked to him and took two steps forward and to the right. "Well then, I'll be going to my rooms and my selfish Portrait, have fun jotting down everything she says and making whatever she wants." Harry turned around then and stepped down the hall, waving his hand behind him just secondly before dropping it back down to his side as he turned at the end and went left. He couldn't be sure but he thought he heard Malfoy muttering something about doing so and having to talk with the new Matron being tiring.

"Well here goes..." He groused, coming to a stop in front of said selfish portrait. The Incubus, his long white tresses flowing out behind him had his back turned to Harry and was currently trying to talk with his large white snakes laid out before him and curled around each other, their mouths opened, displaying their fangs as if to retort to some ineign thing he was saying. "Ahem!" Harry coughed, trying to gather the creature's attention.

He got nothing but a sharp jerk of the shoulders and less than friendly tone as he continued to ignore him and speak with his pets.

"Ahem, Cilus."

The creature jerked again and threw his hands back to tie his hair with a ribbon before turning, golden eyes narrowed and lip drawn up; it was earrily like someone else's behaviour he'd strangely not seen since returning. "What is it, what do you want? In?" The golden frame slid partially open and Harry sighed, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets.

"Not at the moment, I wish to apologise. Again. For slamming your frame last night."

A white eyebrow rose and his body tilted slightly as he placed a hand on his hip and a snake curled around his ankle and up his chest to rest it's large head on his slightly hair covered shoulder, some of it having come loose from the ribbon he'd tied around it. "Is that so?"

"Yes." Harry sighed, "It is. I wasn't in a frame of mine to be polite, I was tired and hungry. I apologise."

"Hmm. Very well, but don't it again; understand New Defense Professor Potter?" Cilus moved to within an inch from the portrait screen, coming closer to Harry, leaning in. "I don't like bad attitude's and for the record I let Professor Malfoy in because he seemed harried and in a hurry to see you." He leaned and Harry frowned, pressing his own face closer.

"I won't and is that so?"

"Very, now go rest you look in dire need of more. I'll keep myself closed while you do and inform you of any who've come by." He opened then, the golden frame sliding away from the stone wall with a small noise completely.

"Thank you." He wondered idly, moving inside and tilting his head at the portrait inside, since he could see him begin humming to his snakes' and combing his hair, if Cilus the Incubus and his numerous rare albino snake's new of his condition somehow; normally portrait's were very considerate of their rooms inhabitants private life, but then if he knew he shouldn't tell anyone even if they asked repeatedly. Hopefully. He wondered further in, took a bottle from the cooler and headed down the nicely decorated hall (his photo's having been placed on each wall apparently by the house elves, he'd not noticed this before) and into his room he'd changed in earlier, throwing himself carelessly onto the bed just kicking his shoes off.

Pulling the pillow further beneath his head, he closed his eyes even knowing this was a bad idea because he had to keep the pretense of a normal human sleeping pattern and not that of a nocturnal one, otherwise he'd be even more tired during the day when he started to teach...and others would wonder why he didn't show himself during the day sometimes, if he did; but sleep pulled him further down as his body sunk lower into the matress and sheets, his egytian cotton ones he'd bought in another country. He was sure Malfoy had the same since he was a pompous tosser, but he could admit who'd not want to have these sheets if they had the right money for them?

His eyes closed tighter, his dark lashes pressing against his now alibaster skin as he tapped the uncorked bottle to the sidetable and dropped his hand over the side of the large four poster done in rich dark mahogany and swathed around with a rich dark forest green and gold cords and tassles.

.....  
.....

"Professor Potter!"

"Professor Potter?!!"

Harry groaned and turned over, pulling the further pillow to his body and squeezing.

Tap Tap, Tap Tap

"Sorry to disturb you Professor, but there appears to be someone trying to gain entrance, rather they keep banging on my frame."

Harry had his right eye held open, his other closed against the pillow as he stared hatefully at the Incubus in the empty portrait by this side of the bed.

"Would you wake now Sir? It is almost dinner, perhaps that's why they're here?" He leaned on the inside of the portrait against the framing, his ankles crossed and clearly waiting for Harry to fully register he'd just been spoken too and told to wake up by a Portrait. Harry's green eyes flickered several times before he sat up sideways, a pillow still crushed in his grasp, his raven hair a mess and one side messier than the other.

Tap Tap, Tap Tap

"Someone's here?"

"Yes Professor."

"My name's Harry, fine tell them I'll be there in a minute..." He mumbled, rubbing the side of his head and sitting the slightly distorted pillow back down on the sheets.

"Very well...Harry, I will do that."

Harry kept mumbling to himself as he pushed his heavy body from the bed and patted down his clothes, went to the bathroom across the hall, did what he needed too, brushed his teeth, fixed his hair, smoothed down his clothes again and rubbing his eyes finally got down the hall and into the sitting room, crossing to the Portrait that sat facing him and away from the person outside.

"Why are you this way?" He blinked, straightening his glasses.

"It's easier to ignore them." Cilus shrugged, rubbing his hand over the middle of a snake curled the other way, hissing at the unwanted visitor.

"Alright then, open the Portrait please." He did and Harry was faced with his friends looking him up and down with frowns.

"Are you alright, mate. We've been standing out here trying to get this Portrait to open to us for the last hour an hour." Harry frowned at his friends words and turned his head sides way, angled forward to stare at Cilus; he'd left him sleeping as they arrived here??

"Did you want me to wake you earlier Sir?"

Harry shook his head, "It's fine...I was overly tired so I took a nap." He angled at his friends, stepping out of the Portrait hole and allowing Cilus to close it with a soft click. "What's up? Is it dinner or something or did you just want to talk this late in the day?"

It was Hermione that answered him as they stepped their way down the hall and toward the staircases. "A chat would be nice, we haven't done that since you arrived but it is dinner and we thought we'd come and get you instead of Malfoy; which he seemed awefully eager to do by the way. Is there something you'd like to tell us Harry?"

Harry ignored the way they looked to him as she spoke and stepped down the stairs ahead of them. "We can do it after dinner if you like? In my rooms as for Malfoy, no not really, there isn't anything their but a tentive friendship to go with our truce, since we'll now be collegues, we thought it high time." He shrugged as if it were obvious. They nodded he saw as they turned to look at each other quickly as if trying to see behind some lie or unsaid truth. Well he expected them to be he supposed but it still hurt that they couldn't trust him like they used too, being away for so long and not contacting any of them...It did make sense.

They made their way down the stairs to the Great Hall and Harry got that dreadful feeling he'd be eating tastless food for the next half an hour to not cause further suspicion on his health, which no one still knew anything about since he'd not spoken to Hannah Longbottom or anyone besides Malfoy, he had that feeling he'd forgotten something too and scrunched his fists as they went inside and sat down at the small table set in the middle of the room, like when he'd spent his holidays at Hogwarts with so few other students and faculty, a small affair but just for the staff this time; he'd forgotten to drink that bottle on his bed side table, hopefully he'd be able to hold out until after dinner and sneak it when his friends were in his quarters for a talk.

.....  
.....

"So..." Harry ventured, back pressed into the couch he'd slept naked on the previous night, hand curled around the armrest. Waiting for his friends to say something and stop looking around his quarters with large eyes and curiousness; perhaps it was a little too dim?

"Do you have anything to drink mate?"

Harry opened and closed his mouth, "Um...no, sorry. I can ask a house elf?" he scratched the side of his head with a free hand and mentally smacked himself because now he couldn't very well get up and disguise a bottle for himself.

"I'll do it mate, don't worry. Lilac?!"

There was a small pop and a small house elf ringing her hands stood right by Harry's knee; she turned toward his guests with a wary look in his direction and spoke with a very timid and quite voice. "Yes Professor Weasley? Can Liliac being getting you anythings?"

"A bottle of butterbeer, Hermione?"

"No thank you, I'm alright. Harry?"

"I'm fine." He shook his head, still wary himself why the small house elf kept shooting him wary glances before nodding and disappearing with a small pop; the bottle appeared seconds later without her, right on his coffee table and Ron raised his eyes. "Did you do something to her mate?"

"Of course not." He scowled.

"I'm only pulling your chain Harry, she seemed oddly wary though? Maybe she's new?" Harry shrugged with Hermione and tried to look anywhere but at his friends throat as he gulped down two large sips of the lightly amber liquid. Harry was hard pressed to keep his tongue from licking across his lips in pleasure at the sight, some of that liquid running down his friends chin.

"Honestly Ronald, don't dribble your'e not three."

"Sorry." He wiped it away with the back of his hand and the conversation, what it hadn't been earlier, resumed.

"Tell us everything, where you've been, what you've been doing, have you met anybody?"

Blinking quickly and the multitude of questions from his gingerhaired friend, he slowly answered her, counting the questions off in his head. "Um...I was in Europe, though you know that from yesterday in the Hall thanks to Neville's wife, I've also been to Japan, Korea, travelled through France, Paris and through Italy." He cleared his throat, looking at them as they leaned closer to hear is quiet tones, "I studied in various colleges in them, brought suveniers; which I'll hand to you later, um...I met quite a few people actually, though none worth mentioning in terms of perminent relations, most of them college roommates; studypals and collegues when I taught a few classes in some of them..."

Their eyes widened slightly, but remained quiet; Harry swallowed and went on hestiantly.

"I had some relations with my own sex, but I'm sure you don't want to here about those." He laughed a sharp laugh at their looks and his own tension breaking answer.

"Harry."

"Mate."

"What about you?" He pointed to both of them simmultaniously.

"Us?"

A nod.

"Well I've been helping George and Fred at the Joke Shop and I still plan to in my free time occasionally; on busy days but I'm obviously now about to teach flying and care of magical creatures at Hogwarts. Uh, we got engaged and are scheduled to get married in 6 months." Harry's eyebrows flew up to his hairline at the pronouncement and Hermione's subsequent flush and hand extended forward for review. Harry yanked it and held in tightly as she was flung further forward by his actions and almost entirely out of the chair.

"Harry careful."

"This is a big rock." It glistened in the dim lighting of his rooms on her ring finger, its crystal changing colours slightly as it did so, Harry's hand turning hers this way and that to catch the change and mirror of colours. "It's pretty."

"Thank you." Her tone even held her flush and Harry smiled up at her as he leaned back, letting her hand go.

"Congradulations and boy am I glad I came back in time to witness you guys getting married soon." He shook his own head, mind still coming to terms with his friends apparently having been dating, were now engaged and scheduled to be married 6 months down the road, some point between their teaching carreers.

"We are too mate and thanks." Ron's bottle was held up and swayed in his direction in thanks too and Harry nodded again, watching the rivulets of condensation on the outside of the butterbeer bottle, now half empty.

"Hermione?"

"Mm?" She was looking down at the rock and Harry smirked.

"What about you?"

"Oh! Uh...I went to a wizarding college that opened up a little after Hogwarts was closed for repairs; only recently graduated actually, top of my class of course." She was smiling proudly and Harry rolled his eyes with Ron. "Then got engaged and you wouldn't believe the nightmare of planning a wedding Harry, it's horrendous and Minerva asked if I would come back to teach for her, of course I said yes. Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes with Deputy Duties."

"Really?" Harry blinked, he hadn't been aware of the last, apparently neither had Draco.

"Yes, I expect she'll be looking to retire soon so I assume that's why."

Harry nodded with a "Ah.." wondering if there was something else; he hoped he didn't sound like he was trying to kick them out, rush through their catching up, because he didn't want too, he liked this, but he was desperatedly hungry and he was starting to hear their hearts pounding in their chests, in that vein at the side of their throats thumping against the skin; it was rushing in his ears and he kept digging his nails into the leather and he didn't want to do that either. It briefly reminded him about the mess that had been on the floor earlier and completely forgotten about, which was no longer there and the bottle that was in his room on his side table.

"Excuse me a moment...toilet." He angled an embarrassed head at them but they nodded and turned to chat with each other; he paused briefly but went ahead down the hall, into his bedroom, grabbed the bottle, snuck across the hall to the bathroom then closing the door immediately chugged the entire contents before throwing it into the wastebasket by the counter. "Ahhh...." He sighed in pleasure, licking the blood from his lips, the darkness of his lips and savouring the small bit on his tongue within. He flushed the toilet for show, ran the water and reentered into the hallway, down into the living room and sat back down.

They were still there, talking and they paused now as he sat back down.

.....  
.....

"Can I use your bathroom?" She was laughing as she spoke and Harry nodded through his own bout of laughter. They'd been like this for the last half an hour, something they had been talking about causing them to do this, but Harry had long since forgotten what that orginally had been. Ron and Harry continued to laugh by themselves, stomachs in stitches until Harry started to wonder where his other gingerhaired friend had gotten too, he stood up then, frowning and holding up a hand for Ron to wait he left toward the hallway but when he stopped in front of the bathroom that his friend had needed, he found her standing by the sink, fingers around the neck of the bottle that though seethrough had red liquid smeered inside up to the rim.

"Uh..."

Hermione turned, her eyes holding clear suspicion. "What is this?"

Harry licked his lips and swallowed, opening his mouth to try and answer her but he sighed as there was banging on the door. "...Door..." He waved behind him and quickly escaped to open the portrait, his friend following with the bottle still in her grasp; now Ron was questioning what is was behind him as he held his hand around the gilded frame and peeked his head out. "...Malfoy."

"Hi, what's up?"

Harry blinked, "What?"

"I thought I'd come by, you looked peaky at dinner." His words held an edge and Harry knew why he'd called by; wondering if he'd eaten his friends or something. Of course he hadn't, he rolled his eyes and pushed the frame open until he could see behind Harry into his rooms and that his friends were perfectly fine and clearly waiting for answers. "Why's Granger holding...Oh..."

Harry eyed him and quirked his lips up humourlessly. "Come in. You might as well."

"Don't mind if I do." He stepped around him and even slid the portrait closed behind him, dragging Harry into the room with him, quite forcefully. "You should tell your friends, hiding it and trying to lie your way through this is just going to make it that much worse when they eventually find out; which they will." He pushed Harry down into the leather chair, and waved his friends into the other as he sat himself down beside Harry, hand coming around his wrist again as he when to move and get up.

"I'm not running...I know I can't do that, I just...wanted a drink." He licked his lips and wrestled Draco's hand from his wrist, standing to his feet and making his way over to the cooler built into the wall; here, with all three staring at him he grabbed a bottle from within and uncorked it, taking a quick swing before making his way back over.

"You said you didn't have anything to drink mate."

"...I don't." He shook his head, lips redder than usual and he knew Hermione understand the moment her eyes went wide.

"You...Harry since when?"

"Three years ago..." He chewed the inside of his lips, avoided Ron's blue eyes and aimed the rest of his answer at her and her hurt expression. "...Halfway through the Battle of Hogwarts...It's also how I took down Voldemort after he ''killed'' me." His words were soft and he closed his eyes afterwards, opening them only seconds later as he heard the somewhat understanding ''ah!'' from Ron.

"You're drinking bl---blood right now?" His eyes were trained to the bottle and the thickness inside that slid slowly back down the bottle as Harry lowered it from his lips and licked them again, nodding slowly. "You're a...vampire?"

"I am." He sighed.

"Does Minerva know Harry?"

"No and I'd prefer it that way, I don't want to lose my job before I've even started."

"I'm sure she'd understand...Though I don't particularly think you should be teaching children." She was holding her lip between her teeth as she spoke as if he might blow up at her words and rightly she should be, his green eyes narrowed and he couldn't help the nails that extended, his teeth too.

"I am not dangerous! I am no more dangerous than Remus was in a classroom!" He was standing, chest heaving with anger, though it didn't necessarily have to be.

"I merely..."

"I know what you meant." He growled. "I am not, okay? I can control my urges just as well as anybody else. I have these, I don't take human blood and I certaintly won't be starting at Hogwarts with my students Hermione. I am not a Monster simply because I am no longer living."

"Harry, you are." She stood too.

"No. I'm not, I am dead as any corpse, I'm just a moving one." He laughed humourlessly, showing his fangs. "I take blood in order stay alive, I keep my tempreture low purely because my body needs to be cold. I am not human Hermione, I am long since been dead."

She closed her eyes at his words and he knew they were teary.

"I'm sorry but that's the truth and I will keep it hidden for as long as I can to keep my job; don't take that away from me because your Deputy Headmistress and feel you need to protect the students that will come here. I can control myself. I promise you."

She opened her eyes with a large shaky breath and nodded, "I trust you, Harry."

"Same here Mate."

Harry nodded, "Thank you." Inside he really hoped they did trust him this much.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten Years Later.

 

BONG. BONG. BONG.

He rushed down the stairs then rushed up them at full speed, thankful no students were running late to their next classes, tripped on three stairs and barely stopped himself from get caught in the sixth trip step he knew exsisted on these stairs since five years ago and just barely stopped all his notes and books from flying out of his arms as he almost collided with a blonde man.

"Woah, slow down Potter!" He spun around and held onto the box full of breakable vials as Harry zoomed passed a wave behind him but no words of apology; he was late enough as it was and why had Malfoy been up this far anyways? He skidded to a stop up the next set of stairs and in front of his classroom hearing the ruckus that was undoubtably inside, if he understood his curriculum right he had Fourth Years now. Wonderful.

They were always very boisterous when it came to his classes.

The swung opened the door, it banged against the opposite wall and slammed it behind him with his food as he juggled his papers between his arms across the classroom to his desk at the very front, every student quieting down and staring at him with amusement and small snickers of laughter.

"Hi Professor Potter."

He inclined his head at them and licked the tip of his tongue across his lips, wetting them as they dried up from the warmness of the room. "Isn't it a bit hot in here?" He frowned around the classroom and now noticed that every window was closed, every curtain was drawn and the lights had been dimmed. "What's going on?"

"We've been curious Professor."

He narrowed his green eyes around his classroom and leaned on the desk. "Of what?"

"You."

"Me?" He pointed to himself and they all nodded. "And why is that?"

"Well...you act a bit strange."

"Do I?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You do." They choursed and his other eyebrow went up to accompany the other already there.

"And what is so strange about my behaviour? What of Professor Malfoy's? Or Professor Weasley's? Do none of your other Professor's act strange sometimes?" They were shaking their heads and standing, each with their hands on the table as if they rehearsed this and then re-rehearsed while he'd been running late. "I see...and what is so strange about my behaviour that has you all ganging up on me?"

"Well since we're the eldest students currently in the school, we've known you for four years now and lets just say we've picked up all of your little quirks, banded to gather for the last year and investigated further, even interviewing other Professor's under the guise of an assignment in another class; seperately of course." Harry eyed them warily as they spoke in turn, though young Reign seemed to have been elected spokes person and was doing more of the talking.

"If you wish to ask me something, why not simply do so directly?" He held his hand out and shrugged questioningly.

"Because you're a Professor and a very secretive one; not even Teddy knows." He pointed toward said humanbeing who was still seated and now flushing at being mentioned by his wild classmates and friends; he was steadily sinking in his seat and Harry's lips twitched at the display of embarrassment.

"And why are you all so curious for?"

"You're our favorite teacher, we're curious what you're hiding."

"What makes you think I'm hiding anything?"

"It's obvious and there's an occasional few days in which you disappear and Professor Malfoy takes over. No one ever seems to know the reason for this, no one. We've asked Headmistress McGonagall but she clearly doesn't have a clue and even frowned at us when we was asked."

"It's quite rude to try and budge your way into your Professors' private life you know."

"That may be true, but we want to know if it's anything dangerous or life threatening..."

"And if my ''secret'' were?" He rolled his eyes and used quotation marks, though inside his heart beat a little faster, he was nervous, worried. They all shrugged and shifted, coming to stand before their desks; one of them ran to the end of the classroom flinging the lights on and Harry quickly closed his eyes against them. "What on earth are you doing?!" He raised his voice and the lights went out.

"We're trying to find it."

He blinked and rubbed his eyes, hissing as they stung and watered. "Enough. All of you!" He shouted. "Get back into your seats and take out your textbooks or I'll have every one of you in detention with Professor Malfoy; understood?! You'll be scrubbing his nasty cauldrons for the next three weeks. Now!!" He was still rubbing his eyes, a tear tracking its way down his face; he wiped that away at their groans and chairs scrapping back into place, books banging down onto the wooden desks.

.....  
.....

".....Professor?"

Harry banged down the book to the desk and levelled his eyes on one of his insilent students. "What?" There was a swallow and some shuffling from their feet as they tried to come up with what they were going to say, how to word it without getting snapped at and make themselves more comfortable whilst doing so. He didn't wait, "I said what Mister Lycan?"

A clearing of throat, "....I....I was wondering if you could help with something?"

"And what would that something be?" He didn't move from his position and started to tap his quill as he waited once again. He must have really made them nervous to speak to him; though he supposed he'd never raised his voice to any of them since he'd become a Teacher.

"This paragraph?"

Harry sighed, banging his feet back down having had them hooked up beneath the desk and stalked across the room to lean over said nervous student holding the book with shaking hands and pointing toward the passage. It was a simple statement and Harry frowned as he angled his head toward Mister Lycan. "What would you need help with this for?" A bead of sweat trickled into Lycan's collar and Harry swallowed as he answered with a waver.

"I don't understand it..."

He didn't...Harry frowned further and got down until he was level with the desk, hand pressed to the passage in the textbook. "You do mean this right?" A nod. He wasn't sure why a very bright boy would not understand this passage but he shrugged mentally, feeling slightly still at ill at ease and calmly tried to explain to him.  
It was when he was halfway through it and Lycan was nodding slowly as if he was trying to pay attention to his Professor's words that he smelled something and not something like a stink bomb, nothing like food, nothing like Malfoy's potions; certaintly not up this far. He blinked a little quicker and tried to block it out even as it wafted up his nostrils and had him forcefully keeping his fangs at bay while he talked; unbelievable! His students were still trying!

"Do you understand now?" It was perhaps a little more pressed than he would have liked and he quickly got to his feet, green eyes glimpsing the trickle of blood that slipped down the brats wrist below the table.

"Yes, thank you sir."

"Mm." Harry hummed, straining his patience and emotions in order to calmly walk toward the front of the room again.

"Ah, Professor!"

Harry paused, closing his eyes. "Yes?"

"Can you help me now? It's a different passage though; it's on the next page." Turning slowly Harry nodded and levelled himself down beside the person in the next row, clearly quickly flipping to the passage and holding it open for him to look at.  
Harry sighed however and opened his emerald eyes, "Enough. It's enough and I believe I spoke as such before." He stood back up. "You." He pointed to Lycan. "And you." He pointed down his twin sister. "Up." They didn't move and he shouted.

"UP!" With jolts they did so, bloody wrists dripping down onto the classroom floor. "Get out of my classroom and if anyone else wishes to harm theirselves in order to prove some point you can get out too." He threw his arm out toward the door and it flew open; shockingly there was someone standing there, poised to knock but Harry paid it no mind and continued. "I will not have students of mine acting like this, so when your ready to act your age and not endanger yourselves by doing this" He held up Lillian's hand. "You are welcome to come back to my classroom. Each of you go see Madam Pomfrey. Now."

Swallowing they trudged toward the door with their bookbags and tissues to their wrists. Harry's eyes followed them with anger radiating from him. "So?" He pressed, turning to face all of his radical students. "Are you all ready to learn and stop this or should I kick you out too?" There were dosens of head shakes and Harry nodded with approval as he went to the door.

"Malfoy, what do you want?"

He merely blinked.

"Draco." Harry stressed, waving his hand in front of the blonde's face. He jerked.

"Right. I've been told just moments ago that some of my uv ray potions were stolen; since they hadn't been in my storeroom and they were important ingredients for my third year class today." Harry's eyebrows rose in question.

"Those thiefs are in your double class. This one." He pointed down with his finger.

"Ah." Harry held up his finger of the hand not currently on the door. "I wonder if my class remembers my words earlier?" He spoke to no one in particular and looked off into the distance behind Draco. "Because if they had, they would remember that I expressly said they'd be having detention with Professor Malfoy for an entire three weeks cleaning his cauldrons for him if they continued this." He turned. "You now do. Hand over the potions." He held out his hands and steadily and with moping they were placed into his hands, three of them left. "Is that all of them?"

"One's missing..."

"They used it." Harry growled. "Please do make sure that each and every one of them is cleaning a nasty cauldron."

Draco was frowning down at the three vials but he nodded, "Of course, I don't do detentions in halves, just like ol' Professor Snape." He laughed then, looking up at Harry and searching his eyes. "You remember?"

"I do." Harry shuddering for enphorcis. "They'll be in your dungeon then by seven; I'll make sure of it."

Draco nodded and grabbed the door from Harry's hand, closing it himself with a smirk. Harry turned around and eyed them as he walked slowly toward the front of the classroom, "You'll also have a two page essay on what your learning today. Make sure you do it, or I will give more detentions." He interlaced his fingers as he sat down and crossed his ankles beneath the desk. "Understood?"

"Yes Sir." They chorused.

If they had just stopped when they'd been warned, they wouldn't have been given detentions and an essay. Harry wasn't a slave driver or a mean Professor but he damn well could be if they tessed him and he'd shown them that today. Hopefully, they wouldn't cross his good mood again and try to find his secrets. They'd probably lose their ''favorite'' Professor if they, obviously they hadn't thought this far ahead in their half baked plans.

The rest of his class went by with no more than some grumbles and nervous voices asking questions or for him to help explain something and they filed out pretty much the same way though there weren't any questions or nervous voices merely chatter among them as they exited, some looking back at him as he collected his papers on the desk and placed them into a pile for his next class; this these were assignments already graded he was to hand back to his Third Years.

He hoped their class wasn't nearly as stressful.

.....  
.....

"Haaah..." It hadn't been but he was still immensily grateful that they appeared to be his last class for the day. He was on his way down to the Great Hall for dinner with a splitting headache, his fingers rubbing his temples when he once again caught a whiff on something he shouldn't; it was coming from the next landing and going up, not down. Harry paused, hands dropping to his sides.

"Ah...Professor Potter." The boy swallowed and had a multitude of tissues to his arm.

Harry blinked, "What'd you do to your arm Mister Lock?"

"Uh...there was a little um fight in the potions classroom...detention before dinner...and a knife slid across my arm. I'm on my way up to Madam Pomfrey though and it's not that bad, it's just a scratch."

Harry blinked again, "Really? It's looks quite bad from where I'm standing. You're starting to drip...blood (he swallowed) onto the landing." The boy looked down and sure enough there were droplets between his shoes; his black head of hair flew up with his head and apologised.

"I'm sorry sir, I'll...I'll clean it up..."

"It's fine. Tergeo." Harry spoke down to the floor, using his wand for show like he had for the last ten years and cleaning the mess. "Hurry on up to Madam Pomfrey I'm sure there's a reason Professor Malfoy sent you there and didn't just heal you. Go."

"Yes sir." He hurried past then, rushing up the stairs two at time.

"Do try not to fall and hurt yourself!" Harry called up to him, though the boy didn't slow or show any signs of having heard him. Harry turned back around with a heavy sigh and resumed his walk down to the Great Hall; with some much blood being pushed up his nose today he was doing a damn fine job of pushing his urges down even if he was getting a mirgrain by doing so.

.....  
.....

"Pardon me Headmistress." Harry stood at the confused look. Students were beginning to leave dinner.

"Every Fourth Year student from my DADA class today, don't attempt to rush your way out of this and report to Professor Malfoy's classroom right now. The time is 6:55 and I'm sure Professor Malfoy is just the same with his time's as the previous Potions Master was." He nodded his head then with a malicious smile down at the table as he sat, hearing all the groans and hisses of swearing.

"Harry what is this?"

"Oh, nothing to worry about Minerva. Merely my Fourth Years going to the punishment for acting the way they did today." She continued to look at him askance but Harry merely stood with a nod to the rest of the faculty and walked with Draco quickly down the hidden passage behind the staff table.

"You're actually serious? I thought you might have calmed down." There steps clacked loudly on the stone as they traversed down.

"Of course I have but that doesn't mean it still didn't piss me off or worry me that my students were harming themselves in order to reveal the secret of my being a Vampire; the fact they'd stolen your UV potions merely suggests that's but they believe or have an inkling of at any rate." He ran hand through his hair.

"Mm, they did go around to half the staff asking questions; at the time I merely thought they were doing a project."

"I heard."

"I'll be sure to have them cleaning my nastiest cauldron's. But there is something I'm curious myself since you haven't told me either."

Harry's eyebrow rose. "And what is that?"

"Why you disappear three or so days every so often." He was frowning as they hurried, hearing children's voices just down the hall and to the left; they in turn were getting closer to the classroom, going as slow as they thought they would at the mention of cleaning cauldrons for detention.

"You know that hasn't been for very long and I'm not sure why they'd bring it up in their ''investigation''" He used qoutation marks. "Since that's what they'd called it themselves, but there's been an issue with my supplier in France well actually there's an issue in France with the trade. I've been going back and forth to try and sort it out, I'm low on my supplies and those brats actions today do not help with my hunger."

"Ah...I hadn't heard; it's still not sorted out?"

"No." Harry shook his head, tone slightly angry with frustration. "It's some law that's been passed recently and I'm not sure my supplier wishes to go underground in his dealings with me, no matter who I am and I can't seem to find anyone else that would be willing either not that I trust them as much as the one I have...I can't keep working here if I don't have any blood supply coming in...especially not with my students being so reckless."

"Fair enough...We can figure something out though, I'll send a missive to the Weasley's and we'll meet at your rooms at half passed 10; they should be finished with their punishments by then I would think." He smirked at the last and Harry laughed.

"Sure."

"No problem, now off with you; or did you wish to watch?"

"No, I'm not that malicious. I think I'll have a rest in my rooms before you show up; just tap on Cilius a few times, he'll let you in. I'm sure anyway." He scrubbed across his face and turned to go in the other direction at his words. "Oh and I ran into Mister Lock before dinner, a fight in an early detention? Were you not watching them Professor Malfoy?"

"I was." He paused, banging open the door with his wand from far away; the students all jumped and hesitated. "The knife only went across his arm when I'd pulled them apart, the other student who was one of your Gryffindor's by the way, threw it; it was lucky it didn't imbed in his flesh and cut an artery. That boy bleeds enough as it is from a small cut, something about the thickness or thinness of his blood."

"Oh...Who was it?"

"The boy?"

"Yes." Harry turned around as did Draco.

"Mister Pristin I believe, Third Year student obviously but if you do..."

"I'll be sure to send him down to you. I'll see you later Draco."

"Yes." He inclined his head and then spun on his heel, filing in after the last of the strangling students, slamming the door behind him. Harry heard shouting from within and large bangs of cauldrons being slammed down onto desks; it caused him to laugh as he stepped down the opposite hallway, making his way up to his rooms where he could rest and take the load off his shoulders.

.....  
.....

Knock Knock.

Harry groaned and turned over.

Knock Knock Knock.

He turned back the other way and crushed the pillow to his body.

Knock Knock Rap.

"Mmmn..." Harry moaned and pressed the pillow closer, sooner rather later he was going to have to buy another pillow.

SLAM!

Harry flew from his prone position, eyes half lidded but no less stricken as he was woken uncermoniously by his bedroom door slamming across the opposite side of the wall. A blonde stood there, hand pressed into the wood on the other side; each of his friends standing behind him looking as if they'd tried to stop the action.  
"What..." Harry growled "...are you doing?"

"Waking you up, obviously. You were taking to long to answer the portrait so wake up, tidy yourself up, wash your face or whatever and get into your living room so we can talk about this major issue you're currently having Potter."

Harry growled again and laid back down, leg splaying over half of the crushed pillow.

"Potter!" He tried to hold on but the pillow was yanked from his grasp and thrown to the otherside of the room. "Get up!" He was then dragged from his bed by strong hands, pushed into his bathroom (though he dug his heels in) and his face then splashed with freezing cold water. Harry sputtered, blinking the water from his eyes and turned to face the blonde with a deadly glare.

"Awake now?"

"Yes." He hissed, pushing passed and walking into the living room, plonking himself down his leather chair. They each followed suit and Draco wisely remained standing. "That was a very rude way to wake me up Malfoy."

"You weren't getting up yourself." He shrugged, crossing his arms.

"It still doesn't mean..."

"Enough, we're here to talk about the issue your having; Draco wasn't very forthcoming on that issue in his missive; so enlighten us?" Harry sighed, green eyes turning to his friends and he calmed himself down.

"Of course. My issue is a lack of blood from my supplier, in fact, i've not had a proper blood supply in several weeks..." He didn't particular wish to divulge that bit on information but he suspected he would have had too anyway at some point in their conversation.

"Several weeks?" Hermione's voice was reasonably higher.

He nodded, eyes closing with it. "There's a new that's been passed in France and my supplier doesn't wish to go underground in his dealings. No one else does either..." He shook his head "and I've no idea why this has suddenly been erected but it's costing a lot of vampire's food, i've read in some more obscure papers that some have even gone rogue and are attacking people because they simply don't have enough food left." He sighed and calmly kept still as Draco took up the spot next to him now.

"You haven't a long term supply?"

This was Ron and Harry shook his head again, "No, I kept a some supply when I got them that would maybe last me several weeks but..." he trailed off.

"So if nobody's supplying to vampire's...is there anywhere else you can get it from? Maybe another country?" Harry smiled sadly at her, "There's always different options but France isn't the only one to pass this law recently and I don't wish to buy here because I know it wouldn't be kept quiet if I did; I don't want my condition to be known for obvious reasons."

"There must be a break down in negotions with Vampires. I'm sure there was something of the like at the Ministry?" They all frowned at him and Draco merely raised an eyebrow. "Am I wrong to think so?"

"No." Hermione said, brow lowering. "There was; it was rather widly broadcasted actually but I don't know what would cause negotiations to break down like this and cause I wide spread of rogue vampires simply because their hungry and no ones feeding them." Harry narrowed his eyes and hissed and she corrected with an apologetic look quickly. "Sorry...supplying. And if anything this alone would cause a fall out in negotiations..."

They were all frowning and nodding.

"Isn't the bigger issue what Harry's going to do though?"

"It is Weasley...and I do have a suggestion." "If I can voice it?"

Harry waved him on.

"I know you don't want to buy here and that's understandable but what if you were given a doner?" He corrected at Harry's stare "A doner willfully came to you when you needed to feed?"

"Draco what are you?"

"I'm suggesting, in private so nobody finds out, you feed from me." He pointed to himself and seemed to be waiting for some kind of anger or raw magic to burst from Harry; but Harry didn't think it was a particularly bad idea, he just wasn't sure if he could contain himself with actual humans.

"I don't know..."

"You'd be stronger anyway, more sufficient right and you wouldn't have to feed as often as you do..."

Harry was shaking his head, lowered to the coffee table and the books and drinks that had found their way there some minutes ago as they talked. Butterbeers and newspapers that Harry'd read in order find the cause, the news about the rogue's.

"If you go much longer with out blood, your students would realise something is up more than they already do...You could die Potter." The words seemed to stick in his throat briefly and Harry frowned at it, they were friends but the halting way he'd spoken..."Do you know what you'd be getting yourself into Draco? You'd be giving your life's blood to me on an almost regular basis for the forseeable future, you'd have to trust me to keep you alive when my fangs are in your flesh, when my brain and all thoughts are soley on that blood that runs in your veins."

He saw the swallow and tongue dart across dry lips but the blonde was nodding. "I know and I do trust you."

"I've never taken human blood before...I don't know what I'll do, I can't garantee I won't harm you."

"I trust you Potter and if you wish your friends can be here while you do." He seemed reluctant with the words he spouted but Harry supposed, anything to keep him more grounded and less jittery at the prospect and risks. "So will you? Take up my offer?"

"I..." He licked his own lips and turned to stare directly at the blonde, eyes searching the grey for any sign of reluctance, hesitation and fear. It was there, of course it was there but it wasn't as pronounced as it might have been if this had been anybody else. "..I'm hungry now..." He whispered, smiling uneasily and revealing the alongated canines. "We will you..." The blonde's neck became taught as he moved it to the side, his grey eyes closing and the pulsing vien just below the flesh pulsing in welcome, inviting him closer so he did, he crawled across the sofa, pressed onto his knees and swallowing, taking a look at his wide-eyed friends once, pressed his lips to that delicious smelling skin, to that pounding skin that had a slight sheen of sweat as he stayed there, building the tension until he licked one swipe across that neck and bit down.

He groaned and he was sure Draco had probably screamed; just because he had saliva that he could make work almost like an aphrodisiac didn't mean that biting into ones neck wasn't going to be painful, he was puncturing skin of course it was going to be, but the blood that he drained the blood that pooled in his mouth and slid down his throat so easily, that would not hurt his doner, that would be erotic and by the sounds as he did some slipping over his lips fastened to that neck, it was.  
He heard the gasps of his friends in the background, faintly but his sole focus was taking this rich blood that tasted so good, tasted so...so..."Mmmnnng!" He moaned around the skin, adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed greedily; he hoped he'd be able to stop, because at the moment he didn't want too; he wanted more...more...his hands wound their way up and into Draco's platinum hair, locking his hands in and pulling it harshly further to the side, his other hand fell to the man's chest, pressing to that heart as he beat rapidly and supplied even more delicious blood around his body and to Harry's mouth.

"Harry"

"Harry!"

He heard them, he did, again not without haziness but he couldn't stop, he didn't want too. The blonde's hands at scrambled across his own his chest had even begun to close and try and struggle free but Harry hung on, eyes shut tightly.

"Harry!"

"HARRY!" "STUPIFY!"

"Unng!" Harry's eyes flung open as he was hit with the spell and the body in front of him jarred in his grasp and wrestled away from him, holding their neck and grey eyes blinking blurily as they stumbled while standing.

"Draco are you alright? Sit down." Harry watched through a haze as the blonde was helped back into the sofa but in the very corner furthest from Harry. "Harry I'm going to ennervate you now so stay where you are okay?" He would have nodded but as it was... "Ennervate!"

"Hhhhahh!" Harry breathed, body sitting up straight and back onto the couch, having been pushed from it by Draco. "Sorry..." He breathed, "I said..." He was shaking his head and couldn't help as he licked his reddened lips and moaned at the blood that came back into his mouth; even wiping his hand across his chin, he licked the reddness that was smeared there, he didn't move though, not even an inch toward Draco.

"It's fine..." Draco breathed, hand still attached to his neck.

Harry pointed then waved to his neck, "You need me to close that otherwise it'll keep bleeding; spells won't heal that, I know enough about it to know even that." He waited to be nodded at and given permission to come closer to do so; it took several minutes but by that time they'd both gotten themselves under control and Harry was only a tiny bit tempted to close back in as he licked saliva across the wound; "You should go clean up..." He angled his head toward the bathroom as he sat back and sighed heavily as the blonde went and did so, no words, none.

"Do you think I scared him..." He wasn't particularly asking even as he asked, but he got a tentive reply in return.

"I don't know...you certaintly had us worried. How's your hand?"

Hand? Harry frowned, he looked down and "Ah.." he held up the hand to show them that it was already beginning to heal itself.

.....  
.....

Draco sat down silently several minutes later and Harry eyed him, waiting for something, anything.

"I think I'd like Hermione and Ron in the same room if it's all the same to you." He was looking down at his hands and the wetness that was the side of his white shirt; he'd used a cleaning spell and washed the blood himself from his neck, but because he was so out of it, so tired, he hadn't enough energy to do a completely cleaning spell and had opted to scrub the rest off.

Harry nodded, "Sure" at least he hadn't said he wasn't going to do it again right? "You can stay here if you like? You're probably tired...since I took to much" he mumbled, rubbing his hands through his messy hair. The blonde blinked at him, "I don't feel very tired so I'm just going to do some rounds; I'll take yours." He stood up then, "You know where it is, there's butterbeer in the fridge if you want it...probably best to put some fluids in your system. I'll walk you guys out if you like?" He turned his friends but they were shaking their heads.

"I'd like to speak with Draco if that's alright, we'll be sure to close the Portrait properly on our way out. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Harry smiled lightly, "do what you please. Goodnight." He then left the room, making his way around hallways and up and down staircases; he'd been serious he wasn't remotely tired, was wide awake in fact and taking Malfoy's rounds were a good way to work off steam, process his thoughts and a viable distraction to those as they made him depressed.

Tap Tap Tap

Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap

His boots tapped on the stone and wood floorings of open unused classrooms and corridors currently in darkness. They were good spots to catch late nighters lurking around and sneaking out to get a bit of snog or something more with their lovers or lover of the week.  
He was sure people dreaded his rounds because he should up in nearly the same fashion in which he'd hated when he was younger, appearing out of nowhere, seemingly just popping up out of the ground and around corners; Snape had done that and he wondered if Snape was a vampire or half, been that didn't seem very likely given he knew the man through Draco. He didn't often find students on his rounds but this wasn't his, these were Draco's.

Though his detention's were similar in style to Snape's as well, he might not get very many students out of bed after curfew either. They were Professor's to be reckoned with after hours and perhaps during the day too in Harry's case since he'd taken to yelling at his students that day, since they'd crossed the line in his patience.  
He thought he had a pretty good tolerance but that had evidently been tested and broken that day.

Tap Tap

He paused and narrowed his eyes down the hallway, he was sure he'd heard something but perhaps it had just been a Portrait muttering in it's sleep again; they did that quite often and Harry wondered if it was because some of them were lonely and weren't talked to often by people or even other portraits, others perhaps merely had ghosts floating by and had the tendency to mutter their go aways in sleep now.

Tap Tap Tap

No. He paused, he'd definitely heard something down that unlit hallway. Turning on his heel, he stalked down that way, silent as a vampire as edged his way toward the two that were entwined around each other and moaning softly; their hands in each other's pants apparently. He coughed, lowly then very loudly making them spring apart and light there wands.

They screeched at his face in their Lumos' and lowered them as they swallowed and whispered "Professor Potter..."  
Harry whispered back, lowering them even more because his eyes were sensitive to such bright lights. "Mister Lock and Mister Pristin is it? What are you two doing out after hours?"

"Uh..."

"Um..."

They floundered for reasons and Harry raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure you've heard about my class' detention earlier tonight, you two wouldn't want to follow them would you?" Their heads quickly shook. "No, go back to your dormrooms and I believe those are in opposite directions." He went around them and pushed, "You go that way." He pushed Lock, "And you go this way." He forcefully pushed along Pristin and followed him until they were at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. "Now I believe Professor Malfoy spoke of you and Mister Lock fighting in detention but that's appears to be well forgiven...by Mister Lock, however, you will serve another detention for throwing knives at classmates wether they are your lovers and you are having a tiff. Understood?"

"Yes sir." His head was lowered, hand on the Fat Lady's Portrait frame.

"Oh." Harry went on "And Mister Pristin."

"Yes sir?"

"You and Mister Lock will be losing ten house points for being out of hours as well you will lose another five for your stunt in detention." Harry could practically hear the colored pebbles vanishing and reappearing at the top of each House Hour Glass downstairs. He clearly heard the groan in front of him though and he lowered his eyes on the Third Year boy. "Go inside and up to bed."

"Yes Professor." The Portrait closed with a click and Harry chuckled ignoring the loudly spoken swear on the otherside as he stepped back down the stairs intent on finding more students to terrorize; he found this quite fun to distract him though his house probably wouldn't be winning the house cup this year.

 

.....  
.....

 

Harry was patrolling the perimeter outside now, having thought students -like him, would find outside walks to be refreshing and theropudic at midnight. According to the sound in which his boots made on the earth beneath him and the smell in the air, it had only recently rained; dampening the grass and his theories to catch late nighters out and about the Castle grounds.  
It wasn't until he walked a good five minutes around the Lakeside and Hagrid's Cabin, that he heard something that made him pause with one foot still in the air, ready to take another step toward the lining trees of the Thestral's home. He tilted his head this way, and then that way, and then back again until he'd repeated the movement several times and had a feel for what he was hearing in the distance; at any rate with Draco's blood still humming pleasantly in his veins, he heard the growls, the ruffling of bushes and movements of logs, the squarks of the owls and birds, the scuffling of small animals about the forest floor, the snuffing from large beasts narrowing in for the kill...and then he heard it, plain as day and night, crystal clear straight through his eardrums; a child's scream.

Before Harry knew it, his vampire instincts had kicked in and he was rushing toward the Dark Forest; toward the thick of trees and the child screaming now in what Harry could only call true fear, true terror, horror and agony. He was almost certain, they were wolves hunting in a pack; circling their unsuspecting, or suspecting prey. What was a student doing in the Forbidden Forest? It was Forbidden for a reason; they knew that! His thoughts were frustated as he zoomed through the streets toward the screaming and growling, jumped through branches of trees and zipped through bushes barring his path with sharp twigs and bristles. He needed to get there...quickly now.

Come on, he urged himself, pushing himself to perform at his fullest, his best; he couldn't, wouldn't allow this child to be wolf chow.  
He could feel the atmosphere become thicker as he got closer, hear the screams as if they were being directed straight into his ear mere centermeters away; not meters. He could smell them, smell the blood of the child; he urged himself faster and screeched to a halt inches from the throng of wolves. He growled.

They growled.

It became a growling contest as Harry edged his way closer to the student, they were still wearing their school uniform; a silver and green tie in tatters barely just hanging onto the neckline of his school shirt that was splattered with blood. They were lying, collapsed now onto the wet earth of the Forest floor in a heap, almost in a fetal position in that their legs were drawn up, their head was cradled by their arms. Harry added hissing to his growling as they pawed closer, edging nearer and nearer until it was a small circle of four wolves; the pack consisting of six. But Harry held them back at arms length for the time being with his hissing and his glimmering eyes.  
The boy, for now Harry knew this, was in a bad way, his chest barely rose and fall and parts of his skin were missing from various exposed body parts; Harry cursed at not having come sooner, not having heard him as soon as he began to scream. He wasn't used to Human blood, the mecanics weren't the same!

"Fuck." He swore lowly, his canine's digging into his bottom lip as he thought of what to do; how could he save this child without endangering him further? Somehow he needed to get them back to Hogwarts with their limps in tact and their lives only mildly in danger of being lost forever; but the wolves...they were a problem. He stood, cradling the small barely conscious boy in his arms and with a hiss and a growl, kicked blindly behind him; gratefully hitting a wolve square in the face.

They were safe, they were on their way back to Hogwarts, for potions, healing salves, everything to mend them good as new. Feeling this ellation caused Harry to stumble and fall over an earthed log, having to barrell roll to not harm the small slytherin just as he heard the howls, just as he felt teeth sink into his back and claws down his sides. He screamed loudly, ignoring it as it echoed and the boy stirred from his forced slumber before him "Please don't wake now..." He whispered, swallowing as he turned around and grabbed the wolve that lunged at him again with talons raised and canines on display, around the neck and tore a chunk from the flesh with his own alongated canines. He glared at them, dared them to try again, to come at him, try to harm this boy in his care. He'd take them on one by one.

"Grrr..."

"Grrr..." Harry growled back, pushing his body forward slightly.

.....  
.....

Bushes were splattered with blood, twigs were imbedded in tough flesh and teeth marks were marring more than a few as they lay limply or hung back from the pack as far from Harry as they could, they still growled, still bared their teeth at him all covered in their fair share of Harry's blood, but their bodies were low to ground, wounded and some irepairable. Harry stood there staring at them with bright glimmering viridian eyes, blood marring his otherwise pale complexion and staining his teaching clothes; his hands were covered in blood, from wolf, human and vampire alike, his clothes too and he spat onto the ground as he retook the child now into his arms; hating the taste of wolf in his mouth and burning his throat.

He needed to get this boy to the Infrimary, no more set backs. Harry rushed through the thick of trees, careful of more downed trees and rocks hazardously strune in their path and ran his inhuman fastest through the grounds and up the gazillion stairs to the Infirmary; he slammed his fist against the wood, slammed his feet against the wood and yelled for the entire castle to hear until someone finally opened the door.

It was Madam Longbottom, only she looked frazzled and more than a little like she'd been rudely woken from her sleep; Harry slipped inside around her and laid the little snake on one of the vacant hospital beds. "Help him." He merely said, sinking down into a nearby chair that clearly hadn't been removed from earlier in the day and waved sluggishly. She blinked and then blinked again before tying her hair up into a ponytail and pushing her dressing gown sleeves high up her arms, feet taking her to different directions within the Wing to collect various things.

"What is this? Why is this boy like this?" She asked him in something resembly calm and orderly, but Harry knew she was more worried about stopping the bleeding than him telling her the boy had been out of bed after hours and had for some unknown reason been halfway inside the Forbidden Forest; where it was forbidden.  
He pressed back into the chair and kept his eyes closed, arms limp either side of him as he slowly healed with the small about of Malfoy's blood he still had in his system.

The boy took a shaky inhale two minutes into his healing by the Matron and his vivid blue eyes searched out something; frantically flitting around the room. Harry reassured him as he stood and was forcefully told to get out, her wand between the fingers of her left hand. "It's alright." His voice was low as he was pushed with magic outside the doors and they were slammed immediately on his backside.

Sighing deeply as he rubbed his buttocks, mindful and grateful, he'd slipped out just in time to not be caught by the doors, Harry leant up against the wall beside them; arms crossed over his chest and a foot supporting his weight against the stone. He stood like this for the next hour an a half and had almost drifted off when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs toward him, voices sounding worried and frightened, he opened his eyes only when he felt a presence in front of him and something pressing into his throat that was cool and stung.

He blinked them open and frowned, eyes alight with viridian and alongated canines digging into his bottom lip. "Who are you?"

"I, Professor, am Luca. Luca Vanchouv." The cool metal pressed into his throat, pressed harder and Harry narrowed his eyes with a grimace.

"What are you doing?" Harry pressed, hand moving to encircle the other man's.

"I'm a Vampire Hunter, though I think that's pretty clear at this point; don't you think?" He was still smiling as he spoke, hadn't once stopped. "I was called here earlier." Harry said nothing and blinked at him, eyes turning to the crowd that was at the top of the landing, several Professor's and what looked to be St. Mungo's Healers standing there; most with confused faces as they listened to this one sided conversation.

"Is that so?" Harry questioned, only 50% unsure that it was Mrs. Hannah Longbottom- Neville's Wife- that had called in this Hunter to Hogwarts; perhaps he should have explained to her and not just sat there all covered in blood from head to toe, looking like he'd done it. As if he, Harry Potter, what even attempt to do such a thing to anybody. But he supposed, there were stupid people out there... This Hunter, barely looked any older than Harry, "How old are you?"

Vanchouv blinked black lashes at him and swapped hands on the metal to brush black hair out of his eyes and behind his ears. "Nineteen, why?" He frowned. This Hunter was merely out of childhood, still a teenager and he thought he could handle Harry? Who'd been a vampire, regardless of his lack of blood supply recently, for the last thirteen years? Harry laughed, a snort if you would.

Vanchouv blinked again, his pale green eyes reflecting confusion.

Harry started to shake his head as he chuckled this time, grabbing the teens hand and twisting it until he was the pressed to the wall with the metal at his throat. "I am Thirteen Years your senior." He spoke lowly into his ear and disregarded the sizzling of his hand. "What do you think you can accomplish? And to hurt an innocent, you don't think you'd be in trouble for doing something like that?"

"Oh? I was the top of my class. Innocent?" His shook his dark head. "She doesn't think so." He pointed toward the doors behind him and tried to twist the metal and Harry back into the doors. Harry wouldn't allow it and merely renched the metal from the teens grasp; throwing it across the room and only shaking his hand once as it sizzled and blistered; it was slow healing and Harry understood Malfoy's blood was gone. Said blonde was standing with the Professor's but Harry didn't move toward him, in fact he moved away altogether and picked up the stake at the wall; he threw out a window that stood above the stairs. "Ah!" The Hunter's hand reached out and then groaned as it disappeared from view. "That was my best tool!"

Harry shrugged, "Don't point it at strangers; they'll do the same thing."

"What?!" The teen practically screeched and Harry winced, keeping his bloodied hands by his sides.

"Potter, what's going on here?"

Harry turned around and blinked at the use of his last name by the Headmistress. "Well ignoring this...I found a student in the Forbidden Forest earlier on my patrol of the grounds; I took Malfoy's shift because he was unwell..." He clarified when the old women went to open her mouth with a frown. "By the way, he's one of your Slytherins. I don't know what he was doing there, but when I found him he was halfway in the wood and being hunted by Wolves..." He angled his head at the door. "I take it, because of this and the way I look, she thought I did it."

"This?" Her eyebrow raised.

Harry fell uncomfortable and shifted from foot to foot, avoiding eye contact.

"I'm a Vampire Hunter M'am." Luca announced, stepping forward and glaring at Harry. "He's a Vampire, who's been teaching your students."

"For the last ten years." Harry clarified. "Have you once seen me do anything remotely harmful to my students? I even made my students have a detention yesterday because they tried to harm me, and harmed themselves to try and reveal my secret. I wouldn't even think of harming my students Minerva."

She was nodding, blinking to take this all in. "I see. Potter are registered at the Ministry?"

Harry looked to the floor and the opposite direction. "I didn't want anyone to know..."

"Hmm.."

"If you want me to...I'll hand in my resignation."

"No!"

Harry's eyes went wide and he took a step back at the vement tone. "Headmistress?"

"That won't be necessary; but I fear this will make it's way into the Prophet somehow." She aimed her eyes quickly at Luca Vanchouv. "Soon enough...Perhaps it would benefit you to register yourself as a Vampire Harry, Below the Minstry..And I'm sure, it will help with that issue you seem to be having."

Harry blinked. Then blinked again. "Huh?"

"Like Albus, bless his senile old soul, Harry I'm not unaware of the dealings of the School; it's secrets. In fact, at the beginning I had some house elves; after they came to me about the suspicious contents of your luggage, to watch you. Am though, currently quite trusting of you and have since not done it again." Harry was still blinking as the Scottish women spoke, she'd known? Was that why that House Elf was acting strange?

"You knew?" He clarified.

She nodded.

"Oh..." Harry said.

The doors swung open then and Madam Longbottom yelled at them to come inside, minus Harry. Harry glared at the blantant bias and misunderstanding but stayed behind and allowed them all minus Luca Vanchouv as well, to go inside and see the second year Slytheirn.

Harry caught "Max Lock?!" from Malfoy before the doors were slammed in his face, barely not catching his nose this time.

"You know I could take you right?"

"Oh?" Harry didn't turn.

"Yes. You've lost whatever blood you had in your system, you aren't healing properly. And besides, like I said, top of my class."

Harry did turn then, emerald eyes downcast to his wounds and their barely healed nature. "By all means." Harry said. "Have a go." He held out his arms, with a small wince. The claws marks stretching as he did so and tearing a little more. The teen hunter was right, he'd lost all of Draco's blood; not a single drop left. Probably best he stayed outside as the child probably was still bleeding and it'd cause him to register more that he was actually hungry and in immense pain.

"I'll pass, but I could take you." He leaned against the opposite wall and crossed his arms and legs, complete nonchalance.

Harry shrugged, "Very well" and leaned against the wall beside the doors once more; ears picking up small bits and peices of sound within. It was muffled though. He hoped the young child was okay. He was Mister Lock's little brother afterall, a second year Slytherin; a shy and quiet boy, Harry wondered what would have made the child go into the Forbidden Forest at midnight on a full moon, but then...what type of child would go into the Dark Forest at all? At any time of the year?  
Perhaps someone had dared him? Blackmailed him? He was in Slytheirn afterall. They were prone do that, be manipulative and devious. Even towards their own housemates.

He'd have to talk with Malfoy, even the students themselves, with their house head of course; as if Slytherin's would really listen to him in something serious.  
Slytherin's were Slytheirn's, no matter what year it was, how far from the war it really was, or how old they were.

Harry sighed. He hoped he was okay.

"You look worried."

"I am."

"Why?"

"Because he's one of my student's."

"You care that much?"

"Yes." Harry admantly spat toward his feet.

"You found him right? Why weren't you quicker if he's really in a bad way?"

"I just wasn't quick enough...I didn't hear it straight away."

"How come?"

"I haven't had human blood before..." He breathed to his shoes. "...It wasn't the same mechanics...I wasn't used it, so I wasn't sure what I was hearing."

"Oh." Vanchouv breathed.

Harry nodded.


End file.
